Heroes of Sontar
Encyclopedia
Heroes of Sontar is a Big Finish Productions
audio drama based on the long-running British
science fiction television
series Doctor Who
.
based the Sontaran characters on the characters from the sitcom Dad's Army
, and derived the characters' names from the names of the sitcom's actors: Field-Major Thurr from Arthur Lowe
, Sergeant Mezz from John le Mesurier
, Corporal Clunn from Clive Dunn
, Pilot Bekk from James Beck
, Trooper Vend from Ian Lavender
, Trooper Jorr from John Laurie
and Trooper Nold from Arthur Ridley
. The story's dialogue deliberately includes catchphrases from Dad's Army such as "You stupid boy!"
Big Finish Productions
Big Finish Productions is a British company that produces books and audio plays based, primarily, on cult British science fiction properties...
audio drama based on the long-running British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
science fiction television
Science fiction on television
Science fiction first appeared on a television program during the Golden Age of Science Fiction. Special effects and other production techniques allow creators to present a living visual image of an imaginary world not limited by the constraints of reality; this makes television an excellent medium...
series Doctor Who
Doctor Who
Doctor Who is a British science fiction television programme produced by the BBC. The programme depicts the adventures of a time-travelling humanoid alien known as the Doctor who explores the universe in a sentient time machine called the TARDIS that flies through time and space, whose exterior...
.
Plot
The Doctor takes his friends to the peaceful citadel planet, Samur. But they find it deserted. Suddenly, seven Sontarans arrive on a mission so secret, even they don't know it.Cast
- The DoctorDoctor (Doctor Who)The Doctor is the central character in the long-running BBC television science-fiction series Doctor Who, and has also featured in two cinema feature films, a vast range of spin-off novels, audio dramas and comic strips connected to the series....
- Peter DavisonPeter DavisonPeter Davison is a British actor, best known for his roles as Tristan Farnon in the television version of James Herriot's All Creatures Great and Small and the fifth incarnation of the Doctor in Doctor Who, which he played from 1982 to 1984.-Early life:Davison was born Peter Moffett in Streatham,... - Tegan JovankaTegan JovankaTegan Jovanka is a fictional character played by Janet Fielding in the long-running British science fiction television series Doctor Who. An Australian airline stewardess and a native of Brisbane who was a companion of the Fourth and Fifth Doctors, she was a regular in the programme from 1981 to...
- Janet FieldingJanet FieldingJanet Fielding is an Australian actress, known for her role in the BBC science fiction television series Doctor Who as Tegan Jovanka, a companion of the Fourth Doctor, played by Tom Baker, and the Fifth Doctor, played by Peter Davison. She was born in Brisbane... - Nyssa - Sarah SuttonSarah SuttonSarah Sutton is a British actress best known for her role as Nyssa in the BBC science fiction television series Doctor Who. Nyssa was a companion of Tom Baker and Peter Davison's Doctors from 1981 to 1983...
- Vislor TurloughVislor TurloughVislor Turlough is a fictional character played by Mark Strickson in the long-running British science fiction television series Doctor Who. He was a companion of the Fifth Doctor, being a regular in the programme from 1983 to 1984.-Character history:...
- Mark StricksonMark StricksonMark Strickson is a British TV producer and actor best known for his acting role as the character of Vislor Turlough on the television series Doctor Who.Strickson was born in Stratford-upon-Avon, England... - Fleet Marshal Stabb/Trooper Jorr/Witch Guard - John Banks
- Field-Major Thurr/Adjutant/Orbital Command - Duncan WisbeyDuncan WisbeyDuncan Wisbey is an English actor, musician, writer and impressionist. He is often credited as simply Wisbey.-Recordings and Appearances:...
- Sergeant Mezz/Trooper Nold - Alex LoweAlex Lowe (actor)Alex Lowe is an English actor and comedian, who is best known as the creator and voice behind the character 'Barry from Watford' on Steve Wright's BBC Radio 2 show and Absolute Radio's Iain Lee Show-Barry from Watford:...
- Corporal Clun - Andrew Fettes
- Trooper Vend - Derek Carlyle
Writing
Writer Alan BarnesAlan Barnes (writer)
Alan Barnes is a British writer and editor, particularly noted for work in the field of cult film and television.-Biography:Barnes served as the editor of Judge Dredd Megazine from 2001 until December 2005, during which time the title saw a considerable increase in the number of new strip pages. ...
based the Sontaran characters on the characters from the sitcom Dad's Army
Dad's Army
Dad's Army is a British sitcom about the Home Guard during the Second World War. It was written by Jimmy Perry and David Croft and broadcast on BBC television between 1968 and 1977. The series ran for 9 series and 80 episodes in total, plus a radio series, a feature film and a stage show...
, and derived the characters' names from the names of the sitcom's actors: Field-Major Thurr from Arthur Lowe
Arthur Lowe
Arthur Lowe was a BAFTA Award winning English actor. He was best known for playing Captain George Mainwaring in the popular British sitcom Dad's Army from 1968 until 1977.-Early life:...
, Sergeant Mezz from John le Mesurier
John Le Mesurier
John Le Mesurier was a BAFTA Award-winning English actor. He is most famous for his role as Sergeant Arthur Wilson in the popular 1970s BBC comedy Dad's Army.-Career:...
, Corporal Clunn from Clive Dunn
Clive Dunn
Clive Robert Benjamin Dunn OBE is a retired English actor, comedian and author, best known for his role as Lance-Corporal Jack Jones in the BBC sitcom Dad's Army.-Early life:...
, Pilot Bekk from James Beck
James Beck
Stanley James Carroll Beck was a British actor best remembered for his role as Private Joe Walker, the cockney spiv in the popular BBC sitcom Dad's Army. The cast was mainly composed of older actors, but Beck was one of the younger members.-Early life:Beck was born in Islington, North London and...
, Trooper Vend from Ian Lavender
Ian Lavender
Arthur Ian Lavender , better known as Ian Lavender, is an English stage, film and television actor, best known for his role as Private Frank Pike in the BBC comedy series Dad's Army.-Early life and career:...
, Trooper Jorr from John Laurie
John Laurie
John Paton Laurie was a British actor born in Dumfries, Scotland. Although he is now probably most recognised for his role as Private James Frazer in the sitcom Dad's Army , he appeared in hundreds of feature films, including films by Alfred Hitchcock, Michael Powell and Laurence Olivier...
and Trooper Nold from Arthur Ridley
Arthur Ridley
Arthur William Ridley was an English cricketer. Ridley was a right-handed batsman who bowled right-arm underarm medium pace, who also played occasionally as a wicketkeeper....
. The story's dialogue deliberately includes catchphrases from Dad's Army such as "You stupid boy!"
Continuity
- This is Big Finish's first use of the Sontarans.
- Nyssa encountered a RutanRutan HostRutans are a fictional extraterrestrial race from the British science fiction television series Doctor Who. They have been at war with the Sontaran Empire for more than 50,000 years, and this war dominates both cultures to the exclusion of all else...
in Castle of FearCastle of FearCastle of Fear is a Big Finish Productions audio drama based on the long-running British science fiction television series Doctor Who. It contains a three part story and a one part story as well...
. - Nyssa mentions an important moment in the Doctor's future that she can't let him find out anything about. This is a reference to his regenerationRegeneration (Doctor Who)Regeneration, in the British science fiction television series Doctor Who, is a biological ability exhibited by Time Lords, a race of fictional humanoids originating on the planet Gallifrey. This process allows a Time Lord who is old or mortally wounded to undergo a transformation into a new...
, from her perspective, in Circular Time: Winter. - Although Tegan met the Sontarans in the Jim'll Fix ItJim'll Fix ItJim'll Fix It was a long-running British television show, broadcast by the BBC between 1975 and 1994. It was presented by Jimmy Savile. It was produced by Roger Ordish, who also worked on other BBC shows, including A Bit of Fry & Laurie...
segment, A Fix with SontaransA Fix with Sontarans"A Fix with Sontarans" is the name of a specially written segment produced for the BBC children's programme Jim'll Fix It featuring Colin Baker in character as the Sixth Doctor. It was broadcast on 23 February 1985...
, it is not generally considered canonical.