Black Thursday (audio story)

Black Thursday was the first of two stories comprising the two hundred and forty-eighth release in Big Finish's Main Range. It was written by Jamie Anderson and featured Peter Davison as the Fifth Doctor, Janet Fielding as Tegan Jovanka, Mark Strickson as Vislor Turlough and Jon Culshaw as Kamelion.

Publisher's summary
1902. Deep beneath the Welsh village of Abertysswg, men have worked the black seam for generations. Until the day of the disaster. The day that a blue box from the future materialised inside the mine.... and things would never be the same again.

Part one
The Doctor, whose back is almost completely healed following the crash of Orna's ship, pilots the TARDIS to 1902 Abertysswg so that he, Tegan, Turlough and Kamelion can have some fresh air and relax. The ship materialises in a coal mine and is hit by a natural gas explosion, the survivors of which the group go to assist. To blend in, the Doctor has Kamelion take on the appearance of a generic human labourer.

Whilst Tegan and Turlough work to get those who can walk to the mineshaft, the Doctor and Kamelion are directed by Geoff Evans to the seriously wounded John Hughes, whose legs have been crushed, and his son Gwyn. Gwyn dies with Kamelion, but the Doctor comforts John in his final moments by telling him that Gwyn will make a full recovery. This confuses Kamelion. When Tegan informs the Doctor of the build-up of afterdamp, the Doctor amends the evacuation plan and tells Tegan and Kamelion to go with the first group to leave; he will then have everyone else taken into the TARDIS.

Mr Matson is more concerned with the mine than the wellbeing of the survivors and refuses to let his daughter, Judith, go to help them. Tegan and Kamelion reach the surface with Geoff and tell the lift manager, William Doughty, that he should expect a "container" in the lift when it next comes up. Geoff tells Eira Hughes about the deaths of her son and husband and Kamelion, sensing Eira's grief, transforms back into his true self. Geoff takes Eira home out of the cold when she refuses to leave until the bodies are brought up and Kamelion follows.

After the Doctor and Turlough bring up the miners, Mr Matson accuses them of trespassing and has the TARDIS confiscated due to his assumption that it has been stolen from the police. They realise that Kamelion has disappeared and Tegan suggests that he might have become a slave to Eira's grief.

Kamelion transforms into John and, when Geoff leaves the house, he enters and surprises Eira. Switching between John and Gwyn, he tells her, having heard her say that Mr Matson is responsible and that an eye should be taken for an eye, that he is going to make things right and kill Mr Matson.

Part two
Kamelion establishes a mental link with Eira and sees her memories of John and Gwyn, allowing him to better mimic them in an attempt to comfort her. He leaves and frightens Geoff by switching between the Hugheses, knocking him down when he says that he will fetch the police.

The Doctor, Tegan and Turlough meet Judith whilst looking for Eira and get directions from her to the makeshift hospital. There, the injured Geoff gives them directions to Eira's house and Nora Death and James Hudd accuse Turlough, who remains behind, of being responsible for the accident. Geoff defends him, however, and later tells him who it was that attacked him. Turlough recognises the description and hurries away to the colliery where he sees Kamelion take Judith captive and goes after them.

Heading to the colliery with Eira, the Doctor and Tegan see Kamelion climbing whilst carrying Judith. Kamelion prepares to drop Judith from a height, but the Doctor has Eira concentrate on a particular memory which makes Kamelion realise that Judith is Eira's daughter. Kamelion is confused and drops Judith, but Turlough catches her. Mr Matson is angered by Eira making her relationship to Judith public and insults her, so Geoff punches him. Mr Matson later returns to London.

Eira and Judith talk and Geoff tells the Doctor that he might take them both in in John's memory; whilst the Doctor is uncomfortable offering advice on this matter, Kamelion tells Geoff that he believes John would have appreciated it. In the TARDIS, Kamelion apologises for his actions and the Doctor takes them to 1984, by which time the mine has been closed and a monument to the deceased erected. Kamelion believes that he is a liability and suggests that he should no longer travel with them, but the Doctor says that he is learning. The Doctor sets the coordinates for New York City per Turlough's wish.

Cast

 * The Doctor - Peter Davison
 * Tegan Jovanka - Janet Fielding
 * Vislor Turlough - Mark Strickson
 * Kamelion - Jon Culshaw
 * Eira Hughes - Lizzie Roper
 * John Hughes / Robert Matson - Tim Treloar
 * Gwyn Hughes - Matthew Aubrey
 * Geoff Evans - Derek Hutchinson
 * Judith Matson - Bettrys Jones
 * James Hudd - Christopher Naylor

Uncredited cast

 * Nora Death - Bettrys Jones (BFX: Black Thursday / Power Game)

Crew

 * Cover Art - Will Brooks
 * Director - Ken Bentley
 * Executive Producers - Jason Haigh-Ellery and Nicholas Briggs
 * Music Sound Designer - Rob Harvey
 * Producer - Scott Handcock
 * Script Editor - Alan Barnes
 * Writer - Jamie Anderson
 * Senior Producer - David Richardson

Worldbuilding

 * John describes Mr Matson as a "toff". He works at the Tredegar Iron and Coal Company.
 * Geoff is the night shift overman.
 * Afterdamp can build up after a natural gas explosion.
 * William Doughty is a manager.
 * The Doctor tells the miners that the TARDIS has come from America and was patented by Thomas Edison.
 * John's grandfather was called Gwyn.
 * The Hugheses live in the last house on the right on Alexander Street.
 * Mr Matson paid Eira's father to buy her silence with regards to Judith's true parentage.
 * Mrs Matson died in childbirth two years before Judith was born.

Continuity

 * The Doctor recently had his back broken. (AUDIO: Devil in the Mist)