A Cause for Carolling


A Cause For Carolling
Season:	"Trip Of A Lifetime"
Story Number:	3
Doctor:	Aron Toman Doctor, Matthew Kopelke Doctor
Companions:	Frobisher, Jennifer Langard, Destina
Writer:	Aron Toman
Producer:	Crossover Adventure Productions
Release Date:	5 August 2001, 5 April 2002, 17 February 2003
Running Time:	70 minutes
No. Episodes:	4 episodes
Previous Story:	Faithful Unto Death
Following Story:	A Time Lord In Prince Henry's Court

Story[]

Synopsis[]

"I'm going to spend my Christmas with a Dalek, Doctor! No matter how many of you try to stop me!"

Sick of the distinct lack of attention the Doctor's been giving her since they left Brisbane, Jenny decides she wants a holiday. However, their plans are cut short when the TARDIS receives a mysterious distress call.

A poor girl called Destina is in desperate trouble, her friends are in trouble and she needs the Doctor desperately to help them. Who are the ones in trouble? The Doctor is, of course...

A time paradox has been started, and despite knowing what it could do to the web of time, the Doctor makes every attempt to rescue his future self. But could two versions of the Time Lord battle the power from beyond the dawn of time that's being wielded here? Or will this paradox become even more complex than either could ever have imagined...

Plot[]

to be added

Continuity[]

to be added

Production[]

Featuring the return of Davros, this Christmas themed Crossover also features the special guest appearances of Matthew Kopelke and Jana Kidley reprising their roles as the Doctor and Jenny from their own audio group BTR Productions.

Cast[]

The Doctor: Aron Toman
The Doctor: Matthew Kopelke
Frobisher: Corey Klemow
Jennifer Langard: Jana Kildey
Destina: Jennifer Akyx
Davros: Liam Legham
Bartender: Owen Spratley
Santa Claus: Roy K. Mowley

Crew[]

Sound Design: Aron Toman
Music: Peter Wicks, Owen Spratley and David Nagel
Original Theme: Ron Grainer
Arrangement: Howard Richardson
Cover Art: David Nagel
Director/Producer: Aron Toman

Production Notes[]

Episode One[]

Finally, after a long delay, we've finally managed to put together the first episode of our season finale "A Cause for Carolling". Apart from being the first new crossover in what seems like forever, this is also a very special episode. For the first time ever there's been a multi Doctor story which crosses the gap between two fan audios production groups. Matthew Kopelke and Jana Kildey of BTR Productions guest star in this crossover, and hopefully having a whale of a time while they're at it.

Besides the appearance of the Back to Reality team, A Cause for Carolling has had input from virtually every online audio production group in some way or other. Off the top of my head, I can list:

Script by Aron Toman (Crossover Adventure Productions)
Special Guest Star Matthew Kopelke (BTR Productions
Cameo Appearance by Owen Spratley (International Audio Alliance)
Incidental Music by Peter Wicks (Ultimate Reality)
Main Theme by Howard Richardson (FloorTen Audio)

Which makes this play a crossover of a different kind.

Besides all that wonderful stuff, this play has been a long time coming for the Crossover crew in general and has possibly had the worst luck than any other and is lucky to be made at all. Originally it was to be slotted in back when Astra was in the TARDIS and to be the story which introduced The Computer. Back then it was a Muppet Crossover which had the Doctor and Astra helping the Muppets help Ebenezer Scrooge (from "A Christmas Carol"), replacing the three ghosts with characters from previous crossovers (Xena replaced Marley, Tripitaka replaced Ghost of Past, Buffy replaced the Ghost of Present and Death replaced the Ghost of Future).

Sadly, things with this play weren't progressing well and we were eager to start on Frobisher's story, so it was pushed back to the end of the season. By then the idea with Back to Reality came about, with the Doctor, Astra, the Computer and, by then, Frobisher, encountering the Ninth Doctor and Jenny. But soon the original idea of the Muppet/Scrooge crossover wasn't working out so the idea got scrapped and replaced with one that is virtually identical to the one you have now. The only change after that was the removal of Astra and the Computer and the inclusion of Destina (the Computer was to have taken Destina's part mostly in this play, although she was to spend most of her time with the BTR Doctor rather than what Destina does in this play). Not to mention sowing the seeds for the major story arc which will cover Season 3...

Also, this episode is the first one to feature the Crossover's latest companion Destina. Although she only has one short scene in this episode, she'll appear much more in the following episodes and form a central part to the story arc of next season. We're happy to have Jennifer Alyx on board to play the part and hope she has as much fun as everyone else does.

Now, with that out of the way, hope you enjoy the episode and, if I get my way, episode 2 should be released very soon...

Aron Toman
August 2001.

Episode Two[]

Firstly, before anything else, we have to deliver big, big apologies to everyone out there in audio land simply because of how long it's taken us to release the second part of this story. I've just had a minor heart attack seeing that the first episode was out in August 2001. It is now April 2002. That's nearly longer than it took "Death Comes To Time" to be released people! I'd like to try to assure you that the next two episodes will be released weekly (as DCtT was), but I sadly doubt that'll be the case. Although hopefully the wait won't be another eight months (eek! Eight months!). Again, I'm so, so sorry (looks sternly at the guilty party - you know who you are! ;-)).

Anyway, what to say about this episode? I hope you all take note of the lovely new opening credits sequence I've used. What's that you say, it's the same? Well, it is, kinda, I just made use of the higher quality version included on FloorTen Audio's wonderful CD ROM (which is ironic, since once we finish this story we're switching to a new one since we're moving into season 3). How's that, I chat about my own plays and end up advertising everyone else.

Anyway, on with this play. Will the evil barmen hurt our poor heroes (or will there be some annoyingly tacky and quick resolution to last time's cliffhanger)? Will our two Doctors ever meet up? Will the Doctor resist the temptation to turn into Bob Fosse? And who is that Destina girl anyway? All this and more, in "A Cause For Carolling"...

Aron Toman
April 2002.

Episode Three[]

Well, all I can say about this is, it's about bloody time! I have to say, "A Cause For Carolling" has to be the most irritatingly difficult production to get anywhere near finished. Originally written at the beginning of 2001, it's now early 2003 and we're only just finishing it, after a series of terrible problems left right and centre. Mostly to do with music...

Yes, I have to admit, this is the episode which manages to really depart from the idea that this story would have totally original music from the beginning to the end - all but a tiny little short segment of this story is backed by stock music, by either Peter Wicks's collection or from selected tracks from the second "Xena: Warrior Princess" soundtrack. Oh, and a tiny bit from the FloorTen Audio Collection, (thanks Howard). It was quite regretabble that I had to take this route, but all three of my composers had troubles (Peter got too busy, Owen became very ill, and David suddenly realised school gets in the way of this stuff) and I got sick of waiting. Thanks to all three of you for doing what you could for this story.

Meanwhile, I also have to apologise for the fact that very little actually happens in this episode - the previous Doctor encounters a sixties pop hit, then runs into a time-warp, while the current Doctor chats with Destina and Santa Claus. Not much on the action front, but plenty of character stuff, as we get to meet the new companion and a bit of a peek into what's to come for our three heroes. Pay close attention to that whole Santa presents sequence. There's a lot of foreshadowing going on there, and while you listen, see if you can guess who's really playing Santa. Answers on the back of a postcard...

And so, I hope you enjoy this episode, and again, apologies for the delay. Finally it's up and we can all rejoice. Especially since there should be no delays on the final episode, released simultaneously with this one... :D

Aron Toman
February 2003.

Episode Four[]

So this is it, the final chapter! The end of the journey! The last goodbye! The point where some of those plot points from the previous three episodes are broght to some sort of conclusion and we say goodbye to all those lovely characters we've met up with along the way. With the exception of the Doctor, Frobisher and Destina of course. And Davros, he's going to be back. So I suppose that means all we're saying goodbye to is the Kopelke Doctor and Jenny...

Anyway, I hope nobody tries to lynch me for the more light-hearted ending to this story than most of you expected. Ok, it's the Christmas Squid behind it all, but really, you couldn't do a Christmas Special without using the Christmas-flavoured monsters. And I simply couldn't resist doing a story in which a child-like Dalek screamed "Decorate, Decorate, Decorate!!!". I know I found it entertaining...

Anyway, not sure what else to say about this. You'll notice all the music is nicked from previous episodes, again, it's due to difficulties with music composers (I swear this play is cursed). It's a shame this couldn't be the first story of ours to get original music, but life's like that. Let's hope A Time Lord In Prince Henry's Court fairs better (Mr Macfadyan, I'll be watching you... )

So, I hope you've enjoyed our Christmas special for 2001. 2002. 2003 even. Whatever, hope you liked it, even if it's taken forever. Let's all cross our fingers and hope it never happens again... :S