The Annihilators (audio story)

There's something in the water at Lewgate Docks. Something strange, and green, and deadly. Summoned to the North of England by a mystery informer, the Brigadier finds his investigations hampered at every turn by the local police. Just what are they trying to hide?

While the Third Doctor uncovers sinister goings-on in the city morgue, Liz attracts the attention of something unearthly. But with Time running out, quite literally, the Doctor, Liz and UNIT aren’t the only ones to find themselves targeted by a world-shattering alien menace...

...because they’ve got a previous Doctor and his best friend Jamie in their sights, too!

Plot[]

Part I[]

The Doctor successfully repairs the TARDIS console but experiences a bizarre gravitational anomaly that causes him to hallucinate his former self. Meanwhile, Detective Constable Lee Staniton investigates a criminal hideout at Lewgate docks but is attacked by unseen forces, leading to a car crash into the water. The Doctor and Liz Shaw are summoned by the Brigadier to investigate strange green bubbling in the water, which Inspector Denise Walker dismisses as battery acid. Despite Walker’s resistance, UNIT insists on examining the wreckage, suspecting something far more sinister.

A crane retrieves Staniton’s car, revealing a grotesque, gelatinous mass inside emitting toxic gas. The Doctor is overcome by fumes and later recovers, theorizing the substance may be alien. Liz detects unusual radiation, supporting the extraterrestrial theory. Walker remains hostile, refusing to cede control of the investigation, but reluctantly allows UNIT limited access. The Doctor heads to the morgue for an autopsy, while Liz and the Brigadier examine the wreckage, where the strange substance reacts unnaturally to their presence.

At the morgue, the Doctor prepares to examine Staniton’s mutated remains, while Liz and the Brigadier observe the wreckage’s eerie behavior. Unbeknownst to them, an alien presence—the Grestrenor—monitors their actions, discussing their potential threat to an impending mission: the annihilation of the human race. The substance in the car appears sentient, recoiling from Liz’s touch, confirming suspicions of alien life. The Brigadier arranges for scientific equipment to analyze the phenomenon, unaware of the looming danger.

As Liz and the Brigadier continue their investigation, the alien observers reveal their hostile intentions. The Grestrenor, hidden among humans, view UNIT’s interference as a risk to their genocidal plans. The Doctor, Liz, and the Brigadier remain unaware that their discoveries have drawn the attention of a deadly enemy. With Walker still obstructing their efforts, UNIT must uncover the truth before the Grestrenor enact their final, devastating stage of hibernation—leading to humanity’s extinction. The stage is set for a confrontation between UNIT and an invisible, otherworldly threat.

Part II[]

The Doctor and Sergeant Sinclair arrive at the morgue expecting to observe DC Staniton's autopsy, only to be met by the curt Dr. Daniels, who claims the procedure has already been completed. His dismissive explanation—that Staniton drowned and the strange green substance is mere harbor sediment—immediately raises the Doctor's suspicions. When pressed for details, Daniels becomes evasive and abruptly leaves, locking the body storage behind him. This suspicious behavior, coupled with the sudden illness of the original pathologist Dr. Broadbelt, convinces the Doctor that someone is actively covering up the truth about Staniton's death.

Meanwhile, back at the docks, Liz and the Brigadier continue their examination of the wreckage. Liz's scientific instruments confirm the green substance is not only alive but reacting to their presence, even emitting pulses of light. The Brigadier, though initially skeptical, is forced to admit they're dealing with something far beyond normal police matters. As they work, both notice time behaving strangely—hours seem to pass unnaturally quickly, suggesting temporal interference. Their investigation takes a darker turn when the substance suddenly moves on its own, forcing Liz and Private Pritchard to take defensive action as a noxious gas fills the air.

Alarmed by Dr. Broadbelt's sudden illness, the Doctor and Sinclair visit her remote home. They find her weak and feverish, describing how a "helpful" driver touched her arm before she collapsed. The Doctor's scanner reveals two disturbing facts: she was exposed to non-terrestrial radiation, and a microscopic puncture mark suggests she was deliberately infected with an alien pathogen. Sinclair, shaken, confesses he contacted UNIT because he suspected Inspector Walker was involved in something unnatural—her strange ability to influence people's minds and the suspicious transfer of senior officers all point to a hidden conspiracy.

Returning to the morgue under cover of darkness, the Doctor and Sinclair break in to examine Staniton's body themselves. What they discover is horrifying—subtle anatomical anomalies prove Staniton wasn't human. Before they can react, the green substance reanimates, forming tendrils that block their escape. At the same moment, Liz and Pritchard face their own crisis as the substance in the warehouse exhibits aggressive behavior. The Doctor realizes the truth: they're not just investigating a strange substance, but an alien lifeform that has already infiltrated human society—and Inspector Walker may be at the center of it all. With the Brigadier's forces unaware of the danger and time itself behaving erratically, UNIT's team is racing against an invisible enemy that's already one step ahead.

Part III[]

The situation escalates as the alien threat becomes clearer. After narrowly escaping the reanimated green substance in the morgue—which vanished via a transmat beam—the Doctor and Sinclair regroup with Liz and the Brigadier, who report that Private Pritchard has been killed under mysterious circumstances. His body shows signs of rapid cellular decay, as if his energy molecules were drained. Meanwhile, the Brigadier falls under Inspector Walker’s hypnotic influence, nearly obeying her command to call off UNIT reinforcements before the Doctor intervenes. Walker’s unnatural persuasive abilities and her attempts to cover up Staniton’s non-human identity confirm she’s part of the conspiracy.

As tensions rise, the team notices another anomaly: time itself is behaving erratically. The Doctor reveals that his TARDIS-linked watch shows a different time than local clocks, suggesting gravitational distortions are warping reality. Liz and Sinclair, en route to check on Dr. Broadbelt, witness a phantom TARDIS materializing and vanishing—further proof of temporal instability. The Doctor theorizes that the aliens are manipulating gravity as part of their invasion plan, possibly to facilitate mass transit or weaponize spacetime itself.

Meanwhile, the alien faction—revealed as the Grestrenor—monitors Earth’s gravitational shifts, preparing for their final move. They detect the Doctor’s TARDIS but mistake it for a human vehicle, ordering its destruction. Unbeknownst to them, the TARDIS’s arrival coincides with the appearance of the Doctor’s past self and Jamie, suggesting timelines are colliding. The Grestrenor activate their transference beam, targeting all humans in the area for elimination.

With Walker’s authority crumbling and the Grestrenor’s plans accelerating, the Doctor races to adapt Liz’s equipment into a gravity-wave detector. The Brigadier, now alert to Walker’s influence, prepares UNIT for a full-scale response. As Liz and Sinclair seek answers from Dr. Broadbelt, the past and present begin to blur—literally—with the Second Doctor’s TARDIS appearing and disappearing unpredictably. The team realizes they’re not just fighting an alien invasion but a war across time itself, and the Grestrenor’s endgame is imminent.

Part IV[]

The Doctor detects unusual energy surges, including transmat (matter-transportation) signals, near a dock area. Meanwhile, Liz Shaw and her companions—Al Sinclair and Dr. Jane Broadbelt—encounter a mysterious police box (resembling the Doctor’s TARDIS) and are attacked by grotesque, foul-smelling alien creatures. The group defends themselves with shotguns, discovering the creatures can be killed but leave behind dangerous residue. Meanwhile, the Doctor warns Liz that the transmat activity suggests an alien presence nearby, possibly an invasion.

Simultaneously, the Second Doctor and his companion Jamie arrive in the same area, encountering the same hostile creatures. The Second Doctor is captured by the Grestrenor, while Jamie joins Liz’s group. Confusion arises as Liz realizes Jamie knows a different version of the Doctor, hinting at a time-displacement paradox. The group narrowly escapes further attacks, but Jane is killed, and Al is severely injured. They attempt to flee to a morgue rooftop but are cornered by another group of armed figures.

The armed pursuers are revealed to be humanoid aliens called the Helt, disguised as police officers, including Inspector Walker. They declare their mission sacred and attempt to execute Liz and Jamie to maintain secrecy. Meanwhile, the Third Doctor and Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart mobilize UNIT forces to confront the alien threat at the docks. The Doctor suspects the Grestrenor are behind the gravity surges and transmat activity, while the Second Doctor, held captive, learns of their "Emanator" device—key to their plans.

The episode culminates in a tense standoff, with Liz and Jamie trapped between the Grestrenor’s monstrous forces and the Helt’s disguised operatives. The two Doctors—unaware of each other’s presence—work separately to uncover the aliens’ motives, with the Third Doctor analyzing the TARDIS data and the Second Doctor interrogated by the Grestrenor. The story ends on a cliffhanger, with the fate of Liz, Jamie, and Al uncertain, and the true nature of the alien conflict still unresolved. Time distortions, mistaken identities, and overlapping timelines suggest a larger temporal anomaly at play.

Part V[]

The confrontation escalates when Inspector Walker and her team—revealed to be alien "Helt" operatives—attempt to execute Liz and Jamie. The Brigadier and UNIT forces intervene, leading to a firefight. Jamie uses an axe to break through a locked door, and they escape with the injured Sinclair. Meanwhile, the Second Doctor, held captive by the Grestrenor, learns their plan involves a "gravitar"—a dense, wandering star whose gravitational pull threatens Earth. The Grestrenor’s "emanator" device is key to their scheme, though its exact purpose remains unclear.

Back at the docks, the Doctor and Liz interrogate Walker (now identified as "Oli"), who claims the Helt are actually a covert force sent by the "Galactic Ecology Enforcement Council" to stop the Grestrenor from activating the Emanator. She insists their mission is to save Earth, but the Doctor remains skeptical. Meanwhile, the Brigadier and Jamie locate the Grestrenor’s underground base, sealed beneath a concrete-like barrier. Despite Jamie’s protests, the Brigadier prepares explosives to breach it, risking the Second Doctor’s life below.

As tensions rise, the Second Doctor tries to reason with the Grestrenor, suggesting they abandon their plan. However, they accuse him of siding with the Helt and prepare to kill him. Above ground, the Third Doctor debates Oli’s motives, sensing inconsistencies in her story. Liz grows uneasy, but the Doctor, resistant to Helt persuasion, can’t detect outright deception. Meanwhile, the Brigadier orders the explosives detonated, ignoring Jamie’s warnings about the Second Doctor’s possible location.

The segment ends with parallel crises: the Second Doctor facing execution, the Brigadier about to blast open the Grestrenor base, and the Doctor and Liz questioning whether the Helt are truly allies. Time distortions and conflicting agendas deepen the mystery, with the gravitar’s approach heightening the urgency. The fate of both Doctors—and Earth—hangs in the balance as the two factions (Helt and Grestrenor) each claim to act for humanity’s survival, while UNIT scrambles to uncover the truth.

Part VI[]

As the Second Doctor tries to escape the Grestrenor base, UNIT forces blast their way in, creating chaos. The Grestrenor scramble to stabilize their failing Emanator while the Brigadier’s team battles through the tunnels. Meanwhile, Jamie finds the Second Doctor, and they hatch a plan to flood the shipwreck the creatures have pressurized by breaching its underwater walls. Above ground, the Third Doctor and Liz use stolen Helt weaponry to keep the entrance open, but gravitational shocks from the approaching gravitar warp time unpredictably, signaling impending disaster.

Underground, the Brigadier’s squad fights off Grestrenor forces, unaware the Second Doctor and Jamie are nearby. When the two Doctors finally cross paths, a tragic misunderstanding occurs: the Brigadier, startled, accidentally shoots the Second Doctor, mistaking him for a threat. Jamie cries out in horror as the wounded Second Doctor collapses—just as the gravitar’s effects intensify, destabilizing the environment further. The Third Doctor realizes the dire consequences of their temporal collision, but it may be too late to undo the damage.

Meanwhile, the Helt leader Walker secretly rallies her imprisoned allies, hinting at a hidden agenda. Al Sinclair, recovering in the hospital, narrowly escapes assassination by a Helt operative doctor Daniels, revealing the aliens’ desperation to silence witnesses. As Liz holds the entrance open with the sonic weapon, the Third Doctor rushes into the fray, determined to stop the Emanator and save his past self—but the Brigadier’s accidental shooting complicates everything.

The episode ends in chaos: the Second Doctor seemingly dead after being shot by the Brigadier, Jamie distraught, and The Third Doctor facing a paradox that could unravel time itself. With the Grestrenor’s base crumbling and the Helt poised to strike, the fate of Earth hangs in the balance. The gravitar looms closer, its gravitational distortions threatening to tear the planet apart.

Part VII[]

The truth is revealed as Al Sinclair exposes the Helt’s deception—they weren’t saving Earth but orchestrating its destruction under the guise of "ecological justice." The Doctors, Brigadier, and UNIT forces confront Walker, who admits the Helt’s mission was a preemptive genocide, judging humanity unworthy of survival. Meanwhile, the Grestrenor leader explains their Emanator was designed to deflect the gravitar, not attract it. In a tense standoff, the two Doctors use their combined telepathic abilities to disable Walker, allowing UNIT to seize her weapon and halt the Helt’s scheme.

With time running out, the Grestrenor activate the Emanator as the gravitar reaches optimal range. A massive temporal distortion erupts, briefly hurling the Third Doctor into a surreal void where he converses with his past self—revealing this anomaly was a time-loop created by the gravitar’s effects. The Second Doctor hints that history is resetting itself, ensuring the crisis never truly occurred. As reality stabilizes, the Doctors and their allies find themselves back at UNIT HQ, their memories of the events fading like a half-remembered dream.

In the aftermath, the Brigadier is baffled by the Doctor’s cryptic remarks about "judgment" and ecological culling, while Liz senses lingering unease. The TARDIS console smolders from an unexplained overload, a faint echo of the temporal disruption. The Doctor muses on the fragility of history and humanity’s unchecked potential for destruction—but also its capacity for growth. The Brigadier dismisses it as exhaustion, ushering everyone out as the sprinklers douse the room, literally and metaphorically washing away the ordeal.

The story closes on an ambiguous note: the threat is erased, but the Doctor retains a haunting, half-formed memory of humanity’s near-annihilation. As they share a drink in the Brigadier’s office, the weight of the unseen crisis lingers—a "wake-up call" about Earth’s future. The Second Doctor’s final words—"Enjoy the rest of your exile"—hint at the Time Lords’ unseen hand in preserving the timeline, leaving the Third Doctor to ponder the paradoxes of his own past and humanity’s precarious place in the cosmos.

Cast[]

Crew[]

Cover Art - Sean Longmore
Writer, Music & Director - Nicholas Briggs
Executive Producers - Nicholas Briggs and Jason Haigh-Ellery
Producer - Heather Challands
Script Editor - Alan Barnes
Sound Design - Steve Foxon
Senior Producer - David Richardson

Worldbuilding[]

In order to prove his identity to Jamie, the Third Doctor mentions that he had travelled with Victoria Waterfield and Zoe Heriot.

Notes[]

The Annihilators (audio story) — Dummy cover to the story, removing the characters of the Second Doctor and Jamie McCrimmon.

This story was recorded on 6, 8 and 21-23 September 2021 at the Soundhouse and Audio Sorcery.
To keep the Second Doctor and Jamie McCrimmon's appearance in this audio drama secret, Big Finish initially released a fake cover on their website. The same was done with Old Friends in The Ninth Doctor Adventures, released just over a week later, to keep the involvement of the Cybermen a secret.
Michael Troughton was set to debut as the Second Doctor in Big Finish's upcoming range, The Second Doctor Adventures. However, when Briggs noted there would be a sizeable wait ahead of the new range's first release, he decided to include the Second Doctor and Jamie in The Annihilators as a teaser of what was to come. The Annihilators notably reveals that the two are on a special mission but its true nature is not revealed; Briggs teased that this would tie in to The Second Doctor Adventures. (BFX: The Annihilators)
The Annihilators was the first seven part story made by Big Finish, in accordance with the production choices of Season 7. Though he had been keen on this idea for some time, Nicholas Briggs felt that the Big Finish CD release format made it impractical. He changed his mind when Heather Challands urged him to go for it. (BFX: The Annihilators)
The cover does not name Nicholas Briggs as the writer.
The opening theme for each episode is split in two, largely framing the cliff-hanger reprise, as it was for The Ambassadors of Death.

Continuity[]

In order to prove his identity to Jamie, the Third Doctor mentions that their first encounter with Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart was when they fought the Yeti in the London Underground when he was still a Colonel. (TV: The Web of Fear)
The Brigadier says that Jamie is older than the last time they both saw each other, fighting against the Cybermen. (TV: The Invasion)
Liz is aware of regeneration because of the Brigadier telling her about knowing the Doctor in a previous body. (TV: Spearhead from Space)
When the Third Doctor discusses the aliens' transmat, Jamie remembers the incident with T-Mat and the Ice Warriors on The Moon. (TV: The Seeds of Death)
The Third Doctor tries, unsuccessfully in the end, to rematerialise the console inside the TARDIS control room. (TV: The Ambassadors of Death, Inferno) River Song would later be more successful in reinstalling it, much to the Doctor's annoyance. (AUDIO: Rivers of Light)
The Second Doctor is working for the Time Lords, though under duress, (AUDIO: The Final Beginning) and is being accompanied by Jamie following their reunion. (AUDIO: Jamie) He is also aware of his upcoming exile to Earth. (AUDIO: The Final Beginning) However, the Third Doctor does not remember travelling with an older Jamie, since the Time Lords regularly erased the Doctor's memories. (PROSE: Save Yourself)

External links[]

Official The Annihilators page at bigfinish.com