Available to pre-order now, Doctor Who – The Companion Chronicles: The Second Doctor Volume 1 contains four brand new dramatic readings from the stars of the Second Doctor's era – with the opening story featuring no less than three companions!

In The Mouthless Dead, the TARDIS arrives in 1920s England, in a wintry dusk beside a railway line. The station nearby appears deserted, but there are figures watching from the shadows, all of them waiting for a dead man’s train...

Producer Ian Atkins tells us, 'I'd enjoyed hearing Anneke, Frazer and Elliot bringing that early Second Doctor era to life in Doctor Who – The Early Adventures, and so we decided to start this set rather unusually for a Companion Chronicle with three actors and tell a more televisual story as a one-off. The whole set is very much a celebration of Frazer Hines' Jamie, who underpins that whole era and I wanted to have all the companions in the set so that you can see him at different points in his life in the TARDIS. In The Mouthless Dead, he and Ben (Elliot Chapman, reprising the late Michael Craze's role) begin to realise their similarities and resolve their differences, while of course Polly (Anneke Wills) finds herself in the heart of spooky events.'

'We're always so lucky with how much work the actors bring with them to studio. Anneke had a load of spot-on observations about Polly of this period, and Elliot has done such extensive research on Michael Craze's portrayal of Ben that he's worked out even where in the mouth to speak from for different years! While Frazer used a slightly different voice for this version of Jamie as he told us that a number of factors that changed Jamie's voice throughout his time in the TARDIS. These are the sort of details that come from actors going above and beyond the call of duty.'

Writer John Pritchard (pictured with Frazer Hines in studio) has created his first Companion Chronicle, having written a couple of Subscriber Short Trips last year. 'I've known John for years through writers' circles and from seeing some of his e-published work,' says Ian. 'And for someone who didn't profess to know Doctor Who inside out, it was amazing how spot on the first draft was. When we recorded Doctor Who: Sphinx Lightning for the Subscriber Short Trips, I'd asked if he had any bigger ideas, and his pitch for Mouthless Dead was a no-brainer.'

'It's a beautifully atmospheric piece, and although it'll be coming out in the summer, I guarantee people will revisit this one when the nights are drawing in. Lisa Bowerman's done a brilliant, exhaustive job in the director's chair to bring it to life, and for the first of our looks at Jamie's times with the Doctor, it's beautifully authentic. I'm looking forward to getting back into studio after Christmas to record the rest. Watch this space!'

Doctor Who – The Companion Chronicles: The Second Doctor Volume 1 can be pre-ordered today for just £20 on CD or £15 to Download. And remember, when you choose to buy this release on CD directly from Big Finish, you will also unlock instant access to a digital copy for download on day of release.

The entire range of Doctor Who Companion Chronicles can still be purchased from the Big Finish website, including 2015's Doctor Who: The First Doctor Volume 1. Special Bundles are also available.