Materialising on Monday 14th of December 2015, Doctor Who – The War Doctor 1: Only the Monstrous sees John Hurt return as the Doctor's secret incarnation, back in action on the front lines of the Last Great Time War.

Taking place before the apocalyptic events portrayed in the Doctor Who TV special The Day of the Doctor, this new four-disc box set by Big Finish executive producer Nicholas Briggs finds the War Doctor recruited for the war effort by the scheming Cardinal Ollistra (Jacqueline Pearce). A desperate mission will send the Time Lord deep behind enemy lines – where the Daleks await!

Listen to the new trailer via the SoundCloud player below, or on the title's product page.

Doctor Who – The War Doctor 1: Only the Monstrous contains three stories, along with a bonus disc containing a behind-the-scenes documentary:

1.1 The Innocent

As the Daleks mass their time fleet for a final assault on Gallifrey, something ancient is waiting for them at Omega One. And a sacrifice must be made.

Arch manipulator and Time Lord strategist, Cardinal Ollistra receives shock news of the Doctor’s death.

Meanwhile, on the planet Keska, a parochial war has returned to plague a peaceful civilisation after decades of tranquility. But how can such a war have any connection with the great Time War which, at any one moment in the whole of eternity, could threaten to tear the universe apart?

If only the Doctor were still alive.

1.2 The Thousand Worlds

With the high ranking Time Lord Seratrix behind enemy lines, the War Doctor finds himself assigned to a rescue mission. But any room for manoeuvre is severely restricted by an area of space known as the Null Zone.

Times have changed on Keska, and a countdown to destruction is beginning.

But who are the Taalyens and what is their part in the great and terrifying Dalek plan?

1.3 The Heart of the Battle

Trapped in a citadel swarming with Daleks, the Time Lord rescue force must find a way to overcome insurmountable odds. With the Daleks apparently planning to rule the Null Zone, perhaps their thirst for universal conquest and victory has been quenched…

The War Doctor doesn’t believe so — but how can he prove it without destroying any chance of peace?

As the countdown to the destruction of Keska proceeds, a deadly choice must be made… A choice that will define this Doctor and perhaps forever cast him in the role of ‘monster’.

Featuring an all-star cast, including John Hurt, Jacqueline Pearce, Lucy Briggs-Owen, Carolyn Seymour, Beth Chalmers, Alex Wyndham, Kieran Hodgson, Barnaby Edwards, Mark McDonnell, John Banks and Nicholas Briggs, Doctor Who – The War Doctor 1: Only the Monstrous is available to pre-order today.

You can order this release separately, or as part of the Time War Saga bundle. The bundle contains all four box sets from the War Doctor series, along with the five-disc prequel Doctor Who - The Eighth Doctor: The Time War starring Paul McGann. As with almost all Big Finish website CD purchases, there is a download copy instantly available upon the release of each box set.

For an extra sneak preview of the set, listen to the clip below – where the War Doctor prepares to make the ultimate sacrifice to save Bennus (Kieran Hodgson) and Averton (Barnaby Edwards) from a Dalek attack!

Doctor Who - The War Doctor 1: Only The Monstrous is available from Big Finish from 14th December. It will be released through other retailers from 28th February 2016.