Freema Agyeman returns as Doctor Martha Jones!

I can officially tick this one off my Big Finish Wishlist. Three days after I wrote that, Big Finish made the announcement many of us had been waiting for. After more than a decade away from the TARDIS, the Tenth Doctor’s companion, Martha Jones, is returning to the world of Doctor Who, in a brand-new box set of full-cast audio drama from Big Finish Productions.

Set between the 2007 TV episodes The Sound of Drums and The Last of the Time Lords, these new stories explore the year that Martha (Freema Agyeman) spent travelling the Earth, warning humanity about the Master and spreading hope with tales of her friend, the Doctor. This is an arc many Doctor Who fans have wanted to see explored, because Martha goes through a lot and these three audio dramas will definitely answer fans' burning questions.

Also featuring in these adventures is Martha’s mum, Francine Jones, with legendary British actress Adjoa Andoh (Bridgerton, Doctor Who) reprising the role she played on screen. The Jones family was one of the strongest parts of Agyeman's era, because the family was realistically dysfunctional. It will be an absolute joy to listen to Andoh and Agyeman back as this complex mother-daughter duo.

The Year of Martha Jones is directed and written by Big Finish regulars, many of whom have written for this era of Russell T. Davies' characters. Scott Handcock will be directing this series, who had previously directed Agyeman in Torchwood: Dissected with Tim Foley as scriptwriter in February 2020 - which explored Martha's time working for Unit and the conflict it caused with her former friend and colleague Gwen Cooper (played by Eve Myles). The three audio dramas will be comprised of The Last Diner by James Goss, Silver Medal by Tim Foley and Deceived by Matt Fitton - as of yet, the synopsises and additional castings are to be confirmed. However, as I have listened to many of Handcock, Foley, Goss and Fitton's work on Big Finish - I am confident in this ensemble team.

On the return of Martha Jones and filling in that narrative space during 2007's Doctor Who episodes, Producer David Richardson said:

“I love Martha Jones and I love tales of an apocalyptic Earth, so when we secured Freema for this box set I was immediately drawn to the idea of Martha’s year on an Earth subjugated by the Master. The Doctor has lost! The Jones family in peril! Toclafane sweeping the skies, and a mission to travel the world, sharing tales of a Time Lord who defeats the monsters. There was so much dramatic potential in this story world and our writers have had a lot of fun with that.”

On the reprisal of her character and exploring such a dark time in Martha's storyline, Freema Agyeman added:

“We really didn’t know what Martha was going through during that year on Earth – we see her embark on it, and we see the conclusion of it, but it’s so interesting to really see her as an ordinary person, trying to do extraordinary things. She has incredible independence and strength so I think she can rely on that, but it’s been great to see how she does ebb and flow throughout that journey.”

It is safe to say, you will be reading my review on this series later this winter. Freema Agyman's character was my first official companion, so I am definitely looking forward to hearing her ass Martha Jones again.

The Year of Martha Jones is now available to pre-order as a collector's edition CD box set (at £19.99) or digital download (at £16.99), HERE. It is set to be released in December 2021.