Death Comes to Time (webcast)

Publisher's summary
“Even Time Lords die...”

When a dissident Time Lord group inadvertently caused the destruction of an entire civilisation through interference, its members vowed to repent by serving the Universe not as gods of Time but as mere men. Many years later, this peaceful resolve is severely tested when two of their number are killed -- and the Doctor’s seventh incarnation becomes embroiled in the struggle against the apparently unstoppable General Tannis.

Plagued by ominous portents, the Doctor and his companion Antimony must race across the Universe, taking in the Santine Republic, the Great Orion Nebula and the frozen heart of the Canisian Empire. Meanwhile, the mysterious Minister of Chance battles his own inner demons, and former TARDIS traveller Ace finds herself in training for a destiny she never dreamed possible. Matters reach a terrible climax when Tannis’ next target for subjugation is identified. Exactly how much is the Doctor prepared to sacrifice in order to save Earth?

Plot
to be added

Cast & Characters

 * The Doctor — Sylvester McCoy
 * Ace — Sophie Aldred
 * Golcrum/Senator Hawk/President — Jon Culshaw
 * Antimony — Kevin Eldon
 * Admiral Mettna — Jacqueline Pearce
 * Casmus — Leonard Fenton
 * The Minister of Chance — Stephen Fry
 * Senator Sala — Britta Gartner
 * General Tannis — John Sessions
 * St Valentine — Anthony Stewart Head
 * Nessican — Dave Hill
 * Dr Cain — Charlotte Palmer
 * Speedwell — Stephen Brody
 * Campion — Gareth Jones
 * Captain Carne — Andrew McGibbon
 * Lieutenant Suneel — Michael Yale
 * The Kingmaker — Peggy Batchelor
 * Pilot — David Evans
 * Premier Bedloe — Robert Rietti
 * Computer — Julienne Davis
 * Magan — Emma Ferguson
 * President of Santiny — Huw Thomas
 * Major Bander/Prime Minister — Nick Romero
 * The Brigadier — Nicholas Courtney

Story notes

 * Following the broadcast of Survival in 1989 and the show's subsequent placement on "indefinite hiatus" by the BBC, the idea of producing an animated series based upon Doctor Who and continuing the adventures of the Seventh Doctor and Ace was reported several times in the media; reportedly the Canadian animation house Nelvana was even interested at one point. This project never materialized, but the idea of producing animated Doctor Who adventures resurfaced with the coming of the Internet and the newly emerging format known as webcasting. Death Comes to Time was the first experiment of its kind; it would be followed soon after by Real Time (featuring the Sixth Doctor), Shada (featuring the Eighth Doctor) and culminating in Scream of the Shalka, which attempted to introduce a canonical new incarnation of the Doctor.
 * A new Doctor Who logo was introduced for this story. Although it was never used again, the basic shape of the logo would be retained for the new logo designed for the return of the series in 2005.
 * Voice actor Jon Culshaw is best known (in Doctor Who circles) for his uncanny impersonation of Tom Baker's Fourth Doctor in BBC's Dead Ringers radio series.

Original Website Release/Broadcast

 * Pilot Episode - 13th July, 2001
 * Planet of Blood (1) - 14th February, 2002
 * Planet of Blood (2) - 22nd February, 2002
 * Planet of Blood (3) - 1st March, 2002
 * The Child (1) - 8th March, 2002
 * The Child (2) - 15th March, 2002
 * The Child (3) - 22nd March, 2002
 * No Child of Earth (1) - 29th March, 2002
 * No Child of Earth (2) - 5th April, 2002
 * No Child of Earth (3) - 12th April, 2002
 * Death Comes to Time (1) - 19th April, 2002
 * Death Comes to Time (2) - 26th April, 2002
 * Death Comes to Time (3) - 3rd May, 2002

Myths and rumours

 * The fate of the Doctor at the end of this story has been used by some factions of Doctor Who fandom as a rationale to "de-canonize" Doctor Who and, in turn, the later 2005 TV series. Officially, however, Death Comes to Time -- or at least its ending -- is itself considered non-canonical.

Discontinuity, Plot Holes, Errors
to be added

Continuity

 * This story is almost impossible to reconcile with other media (novels, audios, TV stories) due to its conclusion and is generally considered non-canon. Despite this, the events of this story are referred to in Trading Futures and The Gallifrey Chronicles. It's generally seen now as an alternate timeline, or perhaps the Doctor's fate at the end was an elaborate ruse of some sort, the resolution of which was left unchronicled.. Ambiguous cliffhangers, such as the one used in The Well-Mannered War, lend speculation that whatever predicament the Doctor is in, he and the Time Lords will find a way of surviving.

CD and Other Releases

 * Released on CD in October 2002.
 * Released on MP3-CD in June 2004