Audio Visuals

The Audio Visuals were an unlicensed series of Doctor Who audio dramas made by British fans in the 1980s. Featuring Nicholas Briggs as the Doctor, twenty-six audio plays were recorded and distributed on audio cassette between 1985 and 1991 (a pilot, in which the Doctor was voiced by Stephen Payne, was recorded at Chris Corney#s house in Hamble near Southampton in 1984).

The first three seasons (released 1985-1988) were produced by Bill Baggs, and the fourth and final season (1989–1991) by Gary Russell.

Although the Audio Visuals audios were a violation of copyright, the BBC chose to look the other way. Gary Russell later told an interviewer,

Many of those involved in the Audio Visuals went on to work in more professional, licensed science fiction audio drama, either through BBV (founded by Bill Baggs) or through Big Finish Productions (which in 1999 began producing licensed Doctor Who audio drama under the guidance of Gary Russell). Nicholas Briggs has worked for both BBV and Big Finish as an actor and as a writer; he also worked on additional Doctor Who-related/inspired productions for Reeltime Pictures and, beginning in 2005, provided vocal work for the new Doctor Who series.

Several Audio Visuals scripts have been remade professionally, either by BBV (with the Doctor Who elements removed, as part of the video series The Stranger) or Big Finish (as licensed Doctor Who audios). The Big Finish audios which were adapted from Audio Visuals plays are The Mutant Phase, Sword of Orion, Minuet in Hell and the Doctor Who Magazine special releases Last of the Titans and Cuddlesome.

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