As a special thank you to all our listeners, and in the spirit of the festive season, we're offering the first Short Trips story (from Doctor Who: Short Trips Volume I - out now) as a free podcast download.

The story, entitled Rise and Fall, is written by George Mann, read by William Russell (here pictured with director Nick Briggs) and features the first incarnation of the Doctor. Doctor Who: Short Trips Volume I features seven other stories, featuring Doctors 2 to 8, read by David Troughton, Katy Manning, Louise Jameson, Peter Davison, Colin Baker, Sophie Aldred and India Fisher. The second volume, featuring another eight stories, will be available in February 2011.

'Naturally we hope this might whet the appetite of those who haven't yet ordered the first volume of Short Trips,' confesses executive producer Nick Briggs. 'But in any case, I just wanted us to share this rather special story with all our listeners at what is, for many people, a very special time of year. Writer George Mann has really captured the essence of Doctor Who in a truly engaging, moving tale. I'd particularly like to pay tribute to William Russell's brilliant reading and Martin Montague's lovely sound design.'