Cyberman (audio drama series)

Cyberman is a series of Big Finish Productions audio drama based on the long-running British science fiction television series Doctor Who. Eight audio plays were produced in 2 series of 4 CDs.[1] The series takes place during a fictional time in the Doctor Who universe known as the Orion Wars.[2] During the Orion Wars, humanity is at war with androids who no longer wish to be under human control.[2] The center of the action is Project Scorpius, a "military project gone dark, off the books."[3]

Cyberman
Album cover
Big Finish Productions audio drama
SeriesCyberman
Written byNicholas Briggs (Series 1)
James Swallow (Series 2)
Directed byNicholas Briggs
Produced byNicholas Briggs
Jason Haigh-Ellery
Length8x70 minutes

The series is produced by Nicholas Briggs and Big Finish Managing Director Jason Haigh-Ellery.

Cast

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Series 1 (2005)

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  • Samantha – Hannah Smith
  • Paul Hunt / Comms / Security – Barnaby Edwards
  • Hendry/Helliton/Glaust/Karen's Father/Protester/Guard – Ian Brooker
  • Duncan Levinson / Captain / Pilot / Public Address / Soldier – Toby Longworth
  • SSC Control/Operations Officer/Helm – Samantha Sanns
  • Comp – Samantha Sanns
  • Admiral Karen Brett – Sarah Mowat
  • Captain Liam Barnaby / Nash – Mark McDonnell
  • Computer – Hannah Smith
  • Cyberman/CyberPlanner/Control/Guard/Reporter – Nicholas Briggs

Series 2 (2009)

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  • Liam Barnaby – Mark McDonnell
  • Samantha Thorn – Hannah Smith
  • Paul Hunt – Barnaby Edwards
  • Hazel Trahn – Jo Castleton
  • Yan – Ian Brooker
  • Chessman – Ian Brooker
  • Milo Taggart – Andrew Dickens
  • Louis Richter – Toby Hadoke
  • Merced – Martin Trent
  • Becca Trahn – Cal Jaggers
  • Janice Webb – Jess Robinson
  • The News – Stuart Crossman
  • Cybermen/CyberPlanner – Nicholas Briggs

Episodes

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Series 1 (2005)

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No.TitleDirected byWritten byFeaturingReleased
1"Scorpius"Nicholas BriggsNicholas BriggsPaul, Karen, Liam, Samantha, Cybermen, Cyber-PlannerSeptember 2005 (2005-09)
The human race is at war with its own android creations. The story centers around several characters, but mostly concerns Admiral Karen Brett, who is in command of the Redoubtable.[2] Brett is a character who will do whatever needs to be done to finish the job during wartime.[2] The Cybermen don't appear until about half way through the audio drama and their own need to survive mirror's Brett's motivations.[2] The character of Paul Hunt is in league with the Cybermen, though the other characters don't know this yet.[2]
2"Fear"Nicholas BriggsNicholas BriggsPaul, Karen, Liam, Samantha, Cybermen, Cyber-PlannerOctober 2005 (2005-10)
The Orion War situation is worsening by the day. The human race is sleepwalking towards extinction. Now, the time is right for the next phase of the Cyber plan to begin.
3"Conversion"Nicholas BriggsNicholas BriggsPaul, Karen, Liam, Samantha, Cybermen, Cyber-PlannerNovember 2005 (2005-11)
The Cybermen... The great civilisation we could have been... if we'd taken another path. A purer path. The Scorpius strategy is now in full operation. There will be victory in Orion...
4"Telos"Nicholas BriggsNicholas BriggsPaul, Karen, Liam, Samantha, Cybermen, Cyber-PlannerJanuary 2006 (2006-01)
The Earth's government is under Cyber control. The only hope for civilisation is that androids and humans can work together. But the Cybermen intend to activate their Master Hibernation Vault on Telos, releasing billions of Cybermen.

Series 2 (2009)

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No.TitleDirected byWritten byFeaturingReleased
1"Outsiders"Nicholas BriggsJames SwallowSamantha, Liam, Paul, CybermenDecember 2009 (2009-12)
Six months after the destruction of the Telos Vaults, Liam and Sam are still stranded in outer space. A chance contact with a civilian vessel, the Novagrad, that has been taken over by the military may offer them some salvation but its paranoid Captain Richter may be more of a threat than the Cybermen. Meanwhile, following the death of Karen Brett, Paul Hunt has now assumed the role of Acting Earth President and planning to help the Cybermen solidify their control over Earth. Cabdriver Hazel Trahn and her boss Jan remain sceptical about the true motives of the Cybermen and soon discovering their horrifying truth.
2"Terror"Nicholas BriggsJames SwallowSamantha, Liam, Paul, CybermenDecember 2009 (2009-12)
Sam escapes from the Novagrad when her android nature is discovered; using an escape shuttle, she makes contact with her android bosses who divulge their plans to decimate both the Cybermen and Earth with a planet-wide nuclear device. Meanwhile Barnaby is imprisoned when his collaboration with Sam is discovered, but is offered a chance of redemption when some of the crew enlist his help to relieve an increasingly unstable Richter of his command. On Earth, Hazel discovers Jan's resistance group and joins them after her sister is murdered by the Cybermen.
3"Machines"Nicholas BriggsJames SwallowSamantha, Liam, Paul, CybermenDecember 2009 (2009-12)
Richter is dead, the result of an apparent suicide. Barnaby remains suspicious and believes that the Captain was murdered, later discovering evidence that the Cybermen have planted a spy about the Novagrad. Paul Hunt learns that Barnaby is still alive and plans to use a fake set of records to discredit his nemesis. Samantha returns to Earth and, after a scuffle with a Cyberman patrol unit, liaises with Hazel and the resistance movement.
4"Extinction"Nicholas BriggsJames SwallowSamantha, Liam, Paul, CybermenDecember 2009 (2009-12)
Barnaby returns to Earth, betrayed by the Cyberman's accomplice on the Novagrad. Samantha, Hazel and the resistance group plan their final assault against the Cybermen. At a stadium, the stage is set for the final battle between Barnaby, Sam, Hazel, Hunt and the Cybermen.

References

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  1. ^ "Cyberman – Released Items". Big Finish Productions. Retrieved 24 May 2013.
  2. ^ a b c d e f Mollmann, Steve (9 August 2009). "Cyberman: Scorpius Review". Unreality SF. Retrieved 29 April 2015.
  3. ^ "A review of the Big Finish audio-drama, 'Cyberman: Project Scorpius.'". The Fireside Table. 4 April 2015. Retrieved 29 April 2015.
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