The Free Doctors for The NHS is a short comedic audio story created to help raise money for the National Health Service during the Covid-19 pandemic. It premiered on YouTube on 31 May 2020. This production is a rarity among fan-made audios in that it features an actor from the TV series reprising their role, in this case Katy Manning as Jo.
| The Free Doctors for The NHS | |
| Doctor: | Shorts Doctor, Naked Doctor, Boy Doctor |
| Companions: | Jo Grant |
| Writer: | Matt Holme, Joe Nickless, Thomas Ahearn, Matthew Rose |
| Producer: | Matt Holme, Joe Nickless, Thomas Ahearn, Matthew Rose |
| Release Date: | 31 May 2020 |
| Running Time: | 13 minutes |
| No. Episodes: | 1 |
Story[]
Synopsis[]
The 17th Doctor having just survived a near fatal double heart attack finds himself being looked after by the worst medical staff ever- Himself!
Plot[]
The 17th Doctor awakens in a hospital bed after suffering from a double heart attack. He is relieved to learn that he has not regenerated. The Tenth Doctor arrives and compliments him on his shorts and T-shirt. The Boy Doctor appears and the 17th Doctor assumes he is a companion. The Boy Doctor explains that he is actually nearly 17 billion years old. The First Doctor enters and criticizes the 17th Doctor's attire. The Twelfth Doctor turns up with a cup of tea for the ailing 17th Doctor. The First Doctor sits on an ejector chair and exits through the roof. The 17th Doctor says the chair has a parachute so he should be fine. Just then, the Doctors are surprised by the sudden arrival of the Naked Doctor whose nudity results in some awkward questions. The 17th Doctor asks the others to leave so he can have some silence. The War Doctor joins them, noting that this crisis was more important than the Time War. After the other Doctors leave, the Third Doctor makes an appearance along with Jo Grant and a bowl of fruit. She mentions she got rid of the pears and the 17th Doctor remembers that his heart attack was caused by drinking pear cider. He was celebrating with his other selves after he broke them out of Shada. They had been imprisoned there by Morbius. The story ends with the Doctor thanking doctors and nurses for all they do.
In an epilogue, two of the Morbius Doctors are celebrating their freedom from Shada when they realize that one of them was left behind.
Continuity[]
- The Tenth Doctor notes that Henry VIII is his father-in-law.
- The Naked Doctor mentions River Song.
- The Shorts Doctor asks why the War Doctor has not brought the Moment with him.
- The Shorts Doctor mentions that some of his other selves wore a technicolor dreamcoat and resembled Lord Byron.
- The First Doctor says he must get back to Steven Taylor and Katarina.
- The Third Doctor notes that the Second Doctor is investigating walking scarecrows.
Production[]
The script went through several drafts and there were multiple recording sessions. Matt Holme, Thomas Ahearn, Joe Nickless and Matthew Rose recorded their dialogue together over Zoom while the other actors were recorded separately. Thomas Ahearn contributed the idea of the Naked Doctor and decided to perform the role "in costume" (i.e. naked). A different actor was originally cast as the First Doctor but had to drop out for personal reasons. Matthew Rose then took over the role. The story was released a mere eight days after Elliott Crossley and Jonathon Carley were featured in the official Doctor Who Lockdown webcast Doctors Assemble. Carley subsequently played the War Doctor in the Big Finish audio range The War Doctor Begins.
Cast[]
Shorts Doctor/Morbius Doctor 1: Matt Holme
Naked Doctor/Morbius Doctor 2: Thomas Ahearn
Boy Doctor: Joe Nickless
Tenth Doctor: Elliott Crossley
Third Doctor/War Doctor/Twelfth Doctor: Jonathon Carley
First Doctor: Matthew Rose
Jo Grant: Katy Manning
As Himself: Peter Purves
Crew[]
Editor/Dialogue Editor/Music: Matthew Rose