The Daleks get animated

With Star Trek and now reportedly The X-Files bucking the live-action production shutdown by going animated, could the universe of Doctor Who be far behind?

Animation is already proving to be the salvation of Doctor Who’s past, and there have been past instances where it was part of the show’s present (such as the animated adventures The Infinite Quest and Dreamland, both of which starred the show’s then-current star, David Tennant). But with prodution of live-action shows remaining shut down in most parts of the world, the makers of Doctor Who should be giving animation a serious look yet again.

The makers of audio Doctor Who certainly are. Big Finish, makers of Doctor Who in audiobook and audio drama form for over 20 years, is rising to the occasion with the announcement of an upcoming five-part animated miniseries, simply titled Daleks!, premiering in November. Nicholas Briggs, who has been voicing the Daleks since 2000 for Big Finish and on TV for the BBC since 2005, will naturally be reprising the role of every Dalek in the universe.

Briggs will not be the only familiar voice, however. Anjli Mohindra, a former star of the Doctor Who spinoff series, The Sarah Jane Adventures, has signed on as well. Joe Sugg and Ayesha Antoine have also provided voice work for the series.

Daleks! will be part of the Time Lord Victorious story strand that will be unfolding through 2021 across numerous media; think of Time Lord Victorious as Doctor Who’s answer to the Star Wars: Shadows Of The Empire transmedia experiment. Without a current TV series, Time Lord Victorious – a storyline spanning all of the Doctors from the modern Doctor Who series – will play out in comics, novels, and Big Finish’s own audio dramas. And, of course, there’ll be merch – brace yourself for the pre-requisite Time Lord Victorious figurines, games, and other goodies.

Daleks!, however, will be viewable for free on YouTube, starting in November – a much-needed boost for Doctor Who fans worried about the fact that the live-action show won’t be shooting new episodes anytime soon.