From the archive: 17 March 2023. This article records Big Finish’s 2023 Anderson audio releases. The original preorder prices and offers have been removed; publisher links below provide release information and current options.
UFO: Breaking Point
Breaking Point continued Big Finish’s audio reimagining of UFO, with Barnaby Kay as Ed Straker and Jeany Spark as Virginia Lake. The three stories, written by Nicholas Briggs and Jamie Anderson, explored the growing pressure on a SHADO organisation still finding its feet.
Lost in Action
An aerial confrontation forces Straker to recruit a new pilot, while Moonbase is activated without his consent. The inexperienced organisation faces a test before it is ready.
Assassination Time
Loss and a new alien threat push SHADO towards an uncomfortable choice: its survival may depend on someone Straker cannot trust.
Breaking Point
A security breach and a coordinated alien attack put Straker and his team under pressure from every direction.
The ensemble also included Samuel Clemens as Alec Freeman, Lynsey Murrell as Gay Ellis, George Naylor as Johnnie Straker, Hywel Morgan as Paul Foster, Charlotte Harris as Mary Straker, Wayne Forester as SID and Nicholas Briggs as Doctor Schroeder.
From the original cast interviews
Barnaby Kay said: “There’s been a passage of time between the previous box set and this one. When we start in Lost in Action, things have moved on. There are many more characters and much more equipment. It’s really exciting and great to listen to. The whole box set is fab–we've had a fantastic time.”
Jeany Spark added: “It’s so good to be back with the SHADO team. What an absolutely dreamy bunch of cosmic heroes. It’s great fun to be having these enormous adventures through time and space alongside great actors. It’s a dream job.”
Read Big Finish’s Breaking Point release information, or explore the original television world of UFO.
Fireball XL5: Cloud of a Billion Lights
The 2023 announcement also introduced a standalone digital release for an adventure previously supplied with a Fireball XL5 Blu-ray set. After a rescue on Zed-Nought, Steve Zodiac’s crew encounter an uncharted cloud filled with creatures that threaten both the ship and Earth.
Nicholas Briggs wrote the story, with Marc Silk as Steve Zodiac, Genevieve Gaunt as Doctor Venus, Briggs as Professor Matthew Matic and Jamie Anderson as Robert the Robot.
In the original announcement, Jamie described how special it was to take on the role played by his late father, Gerry, and praised the story’s connection with the atmosphere of the 1960s series.
See Big Finish’s Cloud of a Billion Lights release information, or meet the World Space Patrol in the Fireball XL5 hub.
Stingray: Terror Fake
In Terror Fake, a visit from finance director Taylor arrives just as Titan and Surface Agent X20 prepare another scheme against Marineville. Troy, Phones and Marina have an unusual combination of responsibilities to manage.
The Nicholas Briggs adventure featured Marc Silk as Troy Tempest, Wayne Forester as Phones, Jules de Jongh as Atlanta Shore, Briggs as Commander Shore and Ben Page as the Aquaphibians.
Jamie’s original comments explained that the finance director’s name was a tribute to John Taylor, whose work with Jean Taylor helped create the sound of the original Stingray series.
Read Big Finish’s Terror Fake release information, or explore Stingray, Marineville and the world of WASP.
