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Audio - Excelis Rising

Excelis Rising
(David A. McIntee)

 Titled "Excelis Rising" this single-CD story has The Doctor, who is on his own again, back on the planet Artaris and involved in the events occurring in the city of Excelis. This story continues on from the first story, "Excelis Dawns", in this mini series.

 This second Excelis play, featuring Colin Baker as the Sixth Doctor, is written by David A McIntee and is directed by Edward Salt with music by David Darlington. It was recorded on 14 November 2001. Also starring alongside Colin Baker are: Anthony Stewart Head, Charles Kay, James Lailey, Nicky Goldie, Patricia Leventon, Rupert Laight and Toby Walton.


Sixth Doctor
Sixth Doctor
 Many centuries after his last visit to the planet Artaris The Doctor returns, this time in his sixth incarnation, and exactly at the point when the Holy Relic, that caused so much trouble during his previous visit, is again the centre of attention.

 Within the city of Excelis, which has flourished and has spread her unstoppable Empire throughout the globe, steam driven dirigibles fill the air and the educated society living there has recently discovered the science of spiritualism. Which may prove useful in tracking down a murderer who stalks the Imperial Museum in an attempt to find and use the long-lost Holy Relic…

 This Holy Relic, which affected Warlord Grayvorn so profoundly and which is deemed far too dangerous for the citizens of Excelis to know about, now rests concealed within the vaults of this museum. But someone wants it and is desperately enough to kill for it.

Audio - Excelis Rising
 The Doctor of course arrives in the TARDIS just at the point when two thieves, who in attempting to steal the Relic, get caught by the sophisticated security system. At first The Doctor is able to bluff his way to explaining his presence within the sealed off museum. But it is not long before the investigators, who are initially suspicious of The Doctor, arrest him for being involved in the attempt to steal the Relic.

 As death follows this mysterious Relic through the halls of the museum The Doctor finds himself helping the Curator, who he finally convinces of his innocence, and the local authorities with this mystery. But in doing so he finds himself crossing paths with a familiar face from Excelis' history - but how can someone live for a thousand years? And more importantly why is this familiar face so desperate to gain access to the Holy Relic?

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Notes:
  • Featuring the Sixth Doctor.
  • Serial Number: EX/02
  • Number of Episodes: 1
  • Cover Length: 70 minutes
  • Episode Lengths: 1 = 67'30"
  • This story takes place between "The Trial of a Time Lord" and "Time and the Rani".
  • Cover Illustration: Lee Binding
  • Recorded: 14 November 2001
  • Recording Location: The Moat Studios and Christchurch Studios
  • Released: April 2002
  • ISBN: 1-903654-64-5

On the Back Cover:

 A thousand years after his first visit to the planet Artaris, The Doctor returns. The city of Excelis has grown, spreading a vast Empire throughout the globe. Science and engineering have provided a new Age of Reason.

 But the more things change, the more they stay the same, and once again death follows the mysterious Relic through the halls of the Imperial Museum.

 When The Doctor finds himself helping the Curator and the local authorities with this mystery, he finds himself crossing paths with a familiar face from Excelis' history - but no-one lives for a thousand years, do they?

 

On the Inside Cover:

 When asked to pitch for one of the Excelis slots, I jumped at the chance for one simple reason - I had heard that Anthony Stewart Head, of Buffy the Vampire Slayer fame, was being sought for the recurring guest villain role, and the chance to write for "Giles" was too good to pass up.

 Knowing that the story had to be set a millennium after its predecessor, in an industrial society, I wanted to try a sort of MR James does Steampunk kind of story, set in a pseudo Victorian London. Like, I imagine, many genre fans, I grew up on the 1970s Pan Books of Ghost Stories, and wanted to evoke that air here. Those familiar with such books may note that Reeve Maupassant is named after writer Guy de Maupassant, and Danby is named after Mary Danby, a frequent ghost-anthology editor.

 If I've one regret about this story it's that, being a single CD release, there's no cliffhanger, and to me cliffhangers are a vital piece of Doctor Who. So, halfway through, there is a cliffhanger point where you can pause and sing "diddly dum" to yourself - you'll know it when you hear the big scream!

 I know that I'm thrilled at the prospect of hearing actors actually perform a play wot I wrote - especially these actors - and I hope you'll enjoy it too.

David A McIntee,
January 2002

Full Cast List:

Part One
The Doctor Colin Baker
Reeve Maupassant Anthony Stewart Head
The Curator Charles Kay
Soloman Rupert Laight
Theif Toby Walton
Inquisitor Danby Nicky Goldie
Minister Pryce James Lailey
The Mother Superior Patricia Leventon

The Production Team:

Writer David A McIntee
Director Edward Salt
Sound/Music David Darlington
Theme Music Mark Ayres
Producers Gary Russell and
Jason Haigh-Ellery
Executive Producer for the BBC Jaqueline Rayner
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Excelis

1
Excelis Dawns  
2
Excelis Rising  
3
Excelis Decays

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