Not in the same story, we hasten to add… although that could be fun.

Two Doctor Who Monthly Adventures releases are out today, with the first a revolutionary tale as the Sixth Doctor and Peri try not to lose their heads in 18th century France, while in the second it’s a chilling Christmas Eve, and the Seventh Doctor and Ace are on the hunt for an abominable snowman.

Colin Baker and Nicola Bryant star as the Sixth Doctor and Peri in Plight of the Pimpernel, set during the Reign of Terror. Somehow the Doctor has managed to become the fictional creation of author Baroness Orczy, the one and only Scarlet Pimpernel. Or has he? 

It’s 1793 and the Reign of Terror is slicing through the elite of Paris – but not if the Scarlet Pimpernel has anything to do with it! With a very British pluck, and daring bravado, he rescues French aristocrats from Madame Guillotine’s embrace. But who hides beneath the Pimpernel’s mask? And isn’t the Scarlet Pimpernel just a fictional character? 

At Highmoor House, in England, Peri plays lady of the manor while the Doctor tends to the strange wounds of her ‘husband’, Sir Percy Blakeney. As Peri prepares to host a lavish ball in Sir Percy’s name, French agent Citizen Donat, and a sinister alien force are uninvited guests, both intent on unmasking the Scarlet Pimpernel and putting an end to his heroic escapades, forever! 

Actor Colin Baker said: “I’ve never had the pleasure before of being asked what kind of story I would like to do. And the one that sprang to my lips was The Scarlet Pimpernel. I was a slavish adherent to those books when I was a teenager – all the Baroness Orczy books – and it’s always been a rather romantic figure, hasn’t it? The English aristocrat who goes around saving lives.”

Writer Chris Chapman added: “I’ve always loved Colin’s era as he was the first Doctor I saw on television. He’s such a great actor and Big Finish has allowed for a renaissance of his Sixth Doctor character.

“The producer John Ainsworth came to me, saying, ‘I was in the studio with Colin the other day, and wouldn’t it be a good idea to do a story with the Scarlet Pimpernel, and perhaps the Doctor could become the Pimpernel? Why hasn’t the show done this idea before?!’ John asked if I could figure it out and what it could be.

“I did a fair bit of research, reading the original book and looking at film adaptations. It’s really a story about disguises and the masks people wear, and the levels of lies people tell to be the person they want to be.”

In the second release, The Grey Man of the Mountain, Sylvester McCoy and Sophie Aldred star as the Seventh Doctor and Ace in a creepy, atmospheric adventure set in the remote, snowy landscape of the Scottish highlands. 

The TARDIS team joins a search party in a daring rescue mission to find a missing man on the mountain of Ben MacDui. Folklore speaks of a ghost that haunts the peak. But not everything is as it seems and it might just take an old friend to solve the mystery. 

Something haunts the peak of Ben MacDui. Something with heavy footsteps, striking terror in the hearts of those who sense it. 

With climbers going missing, retired Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart visits Scotland to investigate. But when some old friends join his ascent, he worries that they will make things even more dangerous.  

As the snows blow in, and mists surround them, the Doctor, Ace and the Brigadier will face the Grey Man of the Mountain… 

Actor Jon Culshaw, playing Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart, said: “It’s a story very much with the mood and feeling of the Seventh Doctor and Ace’s era. It’s wonderful that it is set in Scotland and has this real, wintry, Christmassy vibe with spooky feelings and intrigue. It will be perfect to listen to on a dark, foggy, Christmas evening.

“And it was wonderful to have the Brigadier back in Scotland. There was a feeling that he was on home territory, playing a home game. It’s such a fabulous era for the Brigadier, around the time of Battlefield. He’s retired but his sense of duty is as strong as it has ever been, and it will never, ever leave him. He really gets into the centre of the action – he wants to help, to lead and support. He will face the danger so others around him don’t have to.”

Writer Lizbeth Myles added: “I always try to set stories in Scotland. But this is the first time the Scottish pitch got the thumbs up.

“The Doctor and the Brig are really easy with each other, there’s an implicit trust and understanding between them. I wanted to have that, and for a tension between them to have escalated due to the Brig feeling like he didn’t really need the Doctor to be there, that’s he’s got the knowledge and experience to handle alien threats without him. And that he can do it without blowing things up.”

Doctor Who – Plight of the Pimpernel is now available to own as a collector’s edition boxset (on CD at £14.99) and as a digital download (at £12.99) exclusively from the Big Finish website. 

Doctor Who – The Grey Man of the Mountain is now available to own as a collector’s edition boxset (on CD at £14.99) and as a digital download (at £12.99) exclusively from the Big Finish website. 

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