Behind the Scenes Video

Director and script editor Nicholas Briggs, who also voices the Daleks in this box set, said: “Listeners may remember that at the end of our last First Doctor story, Doctor Who: The Incherton Incident, the Doctor suddenly disappeared. And this has some bearing on how he now finds himself travelling with an older version of Vicki.

“There’s a lot for the older Vicki to cope with, but she embraces every challenge with gusto. This is an exciting and emotional journey for her as she plunges back into the fray with renewed vigour!”

Maureen O'Brien said of Stephen Noonan: “Oh, he’s fantastic. We’re fellow Liverpudlians, so we have a lot in common. He is doing an extraordinary job as William Hartnell’s Doctor. It’s an incredible challenge but he’s incredibly meticulous and he is getting it right. He’s got the rhythm of William Hartnell, which I think is always the most important thing about how someone speaks. It’s really a fantastic portrayal.”

Producer Mark Wright said: “Bringing Maureen O’Brien back as a Vicki who has lived a life but perhaps still yearns for one more adventure, has been a true joy of producing The First Doctor Adventures.

“Maureen is really in a class of her own, bringing her wealth of experience, a playful wit and a fierce commitment to the work we’re doing. Combining that with Stephen’s take on the Doctor in a brilliant script is a very special thing.”

Writer Jonathan Morris added: “I’ve written for Maureen O’Brien as Vicki before a couple of times and what makes her a great companion is pretty much all down to Maureen’s performance. Her cheekiness and gutsiness and sense of wonder.

“And it was just lovely to write for the character, and knew that Maureen would take what I’d written and elevate it. It meant I could write some pretty emotional, heartfelt stuff in there, knowing that she would play the scenes with absolute truth and make it so much richer.”

Maureen O'Brien and Stephen Noonan

Maureen O'Brien, Nicholas Briggs, Stephen Noonan and Lauren Cornelius

Mark Elstob, Gary Turner, Stephen Noonan, Ashley Cousins, Maureen O'Brien and Lauren Cornelius