Red Planets (audio story)

 was the two hundred and forty first story in Big Finish's monthly range. It was written by Una McCormack and featured Sylvester McCoy as the Seventh Doctor, Sophie Aldred as Ace and Bonnie Langford as Melanie Bush.

Publisher's summary
London, 2017. Except... it isn't. Berlin, 1961. But it isn't that either. Not really. Not in the timeline the Doctor knows. Something is very wrong.

While Ace tries to save the life of a wounded British spy, Mel and the Doctor must get to grips with the modern day socialist Republic of Mokoshia. For Mel it feels strangely familiar and 'right', which makes the Doctor feel even more uneasy.

Soon, a message from a dark and blood-soaked distant future is on its way... But the Doctor will have to act fast to stop this timeline becoming reality.

And with Ace stranded in an alternate 1961, will saving the Earth end her existence?

Plot
to be added

Cast

 * The Doctor - Sylvester McCoy
 * Ace - Sophie Aldred
 * Mel - Bonnie Langford
 * Tom Elliot - Matt Barber
 * Colonel Marsden - Elliot Levey
 * Anna / Commander of Phobos Mission - Genevieve Gaunt
 * Sokolov - Max Bollinger
 * Mission Control / Voice of Map / George / Television Announcer - Chris Dale

Worldbuilding

 * The Doctor describes 2017 as a time of melting ice caps, seas of plastic and species after species disappearing into nothing.
 * Anna was born in 1987.
 * Anna describes the idea of Ronald Reagan being the President of the United States as ridiculous.
 * Tom Elliot tells Ace that the Americans are going to intervene in Vietnam.

Continuity

 * The Doctor refers to the 2012 Olympics. (TV: Fear Her, Good as Gold; AUDIO: The Reaping, The Gathering, Frozen Time)
 * In the alternate 2017, there are celebrations of the centenary of the October Revolution. (AUDIO: Thin Ice)
 * The Doctor refers to the fall of the Berlin Wall on 9 November 1989. (AUDIO: Protect and Survive; COMIC: The Broken Man)
 * The Doctor tells Mel that aren't supposed to be manned missions to Mars for another forty years. (TV: The Waters of Mars)
 * Ace previously visited an alternate Berlin. (PROSE: Timewyrm: Exodus)
 * Both Chris and Roz posed as spies. (PROSE: Just War)