For the last ten years, Big Finish Productions have been releasing high-quality, full-cast audio dramas on CD. Series have included Doctor Who, Sapphire and Steel, Judge Dredd and Bernice Summerfield. On February 1st, Big Finish are launching a new, online download service from which customers may purchase and instantly download the audio drama of their choice as an mp3 file to their computer.

After an extremely successful first series of five Sapphire and Steel releases in 2005, Big Finish are set to release a further six plays over the next twelve months. For this second season, each play will be a double-CD release and, as before, will star David Warner as Steel and Susannah Harker as Sapphire. As a bonus, anyone who purchases this second season by subscription direct from Big Finish will receive an exclusive behind-the-scenes documentary CD. The School, by Simon Guerrier, opens the season in July 2006 with a chilling trip into a school whose upcoming centenary promises to be a celebration to remember. Joining David Warner and Susannah Harker are Keith Drinkel (Coronation Street) and Victoria Gould (Eastenders). In September, Richard Franklin (Mike Yates in Doctor Who) guest-stars as an auctioneer whose life has been extended to 156 years by some extraordinarily powerful watches. This second story is entitled, The Surest Poison and is written Richard Dinnick. There’s a darkly festive feel to November’s release, Water Like A Stone by Nigel Fairs, when Sapphire and Steel find themselves in an abandoned theatre on Christmas Eve. In January 2007, Gary Russell’s Big Fun takes us on a roller-coaster ride to remember. Steve Lyons pens Perfect Day, March’s release, re-introducing us to a popular character from the first season. Finally, in May, Joseph Lidster ends the second season with his bizarrely disquieting tale, The Mystery of the Missing Hour.