The Ghosts of N-Space (audio story)

The Ghosts of N-Space was a BBC Radio drama recorded in 1994 and released in 1996. It was the second and final radio drama that Jon Pertwee lent his voice to. He passed away a few months later after its broadcast, ending plans for a third instalment.

1996 cassette release
"When the barrier gives way, this planet will be flooded by all the evil in N-Space; and at the moment I have no idea how to stop it."

The Brigadier's ancient great-uncle Mario seems unsurprised by the spectres which haunt his even more ancient Sicilian castle. But when the Doctor comes to investigate he finds himself faced with a danger as great as any he has yet encountered.

Is the answer to be found in the past, in the corrupt alchemy of the black-hearted sorcerer said to have walled up alive for his evil deeds? Or must the Doctor — and the faithful Sarah Jane Smith — brave the realm of ghosts and face the very fiends of hell?

2000 CD release
Produced in 1994, this exciting six-part radio story reunited a classic line-up of actors from the Third Doctor's era. Deleted for several years, it has been remastered and is presented on CD for the first time ever.

Mysterious forces are at work in Italy, where the Brigadier is staying with an Italian relative. As the Doctor is enlisted to investigate mysterious occurrences in the area, which threaten to blur the lines between time periods and the living and the dead.

Plot
to be added

Cast

 * The Doctor - Jon Pertwee
 * Sarah Jane Smith - Elisabeth Sladen
 * The Brigadier - Nicholas Courtney
 * Jeremy - Richard Pearce
 * Max - Stephen Thorne
 * Mario - Harry Towb
 * Louisa - Deborah Berlin
 * Clemenza - Jonathan Tafler
 * Don Fabrizio - Don McCorkindale
 * Nico - David Holt
 * Maggie - Sandra Dickinson
 * Umberto - Peter Yapp
 * Maid - Joanne Sergeant
 * Paolo - Paul Brooke
 * Barone - Gavin Muir
 * Baronessa / Marcella - Jillie Meers
 * Roberto - Jonathan Keeble
 * Guido - Jim Sweeney

Crew

 * Writer - Barry Letts
 * Director - Phil Clarke
 * Incidental Music - Peter Howell
 * Technical Presentation - John Whitehall, Alison Carter, Colin Guthrie
 * Production Assistant - Dawn Ellis
 * Producer - Phil Clarke

Individuals

 * Sarah feels like a refugee from Pride and Prejudice.

Theories and concepts

 * The Doctor says that synchronicity is "the principle that a coincidence may happen without any causal link and yet still be significant".

Continuity

 * The story revolves around the reappearance of Theodore Clancy's Comet every hundred fifty-seven years. Previous appearances were in 1504, 1661 and 1818, placing this story in 1975.
 * The Doctor claims to have met Leonardo da Vinci. However, during his fourth incarnation, he would later tell Sarah that he had always wanted to meet him. (TV: The Masque of Mandragora) He had done so by the time that he was travelling with the second incarnation of Romana. (TV: City of Death)
 * The Doctor mentions that he has met H. G. Wells. He would later do so again in Scotland in 1885 during his sixth incarnation (TV: Timelash) and in London in 1889 during his tenth incarnation (COMIC: The Time Machination). On the latter occasion, the Doctor hinted that he and Wells would meet again. It is possible that he was referring to this encounter, which seemingly occurred during one of his first three incarnations, but which has not yet happened in Wells' personal timeline.
 * The Doctor brings back a modified stun gun from Parakon. (AUDIO: The Paradise of Death)
 * This story takes place after TV: Death to the Daleks, first indicated by a comment Sarah makes about a "Dalek piece" she tried to submit for publication which was not accepted.
 * The Doctor has been found guilty of intervention by his peers. (TV: The War Games)
 * The Doctor mentions his old teacher on Gallifrey. (TV: Planet of the Spiders)

Home media releases
The Ghosts of N-Space was released on CD by BBC Audio on 5 June 2000.

Novelisation



 * A novelisation written by Barry Letts was published in 1995. As the Target Books range had been retired by this time, the novelisation was published as part of the Virgin Missing Adventures line. Unusually, the novel was published before the radio play was broadcast.

Releases

 * This story was originally broadcast on BBC Radio 2 from 20 January to 24 February 1996.
 * It was released on double cassette in February 1996.
 * It was released on CD on 6 March 2000.
 * It was re-released as part of The BBC Radio Episodes box set on 6 June 2011.
 * It was released on Vinyl by Demon Records, along with The Paradise of Death, on 28 February 2020.