The Third Doctor (Tim Treloar) has caught up with his former companion Jo Jones (Katy Manning) in her later life, and the upcoming box set The Planet Killers comprises two thrilling new Doctor Who stories starring the reunited friends. 

First, the travellers head back in time to nineteenth-century Russia. Here, they find the famous playwright Anton Chekhov (Joe Eyre) investigating the struggles of prisoners in a penal colony – struggles which involve a creature torn between dimensions. 

Then, the TARDIS lands on Paratel, a beautiful planet that Jo is horrified to find is scheduled for demolition. But their problems worsen when an old enemy arrives – the Daleks (Nicholas Briggs) have a genocidal new scheme. 

Doctor Who – The Third Doctor Adventures: The Planet Killers is now available to pre-order for just £19.99 (download to own) or £24.99 (download to own + collector’s edition CD box set), exclusively here. Please note: the collector’s edition CD box set is strictly limited to 1,500 copies and will not be re-pressed. 

The two stories featuring the terrific Third Doctor are: 

The Beasts of Sakhalin Island by Jez Fielder (four parts) 

The Doctor and Jo Jones are drawn to Sakhalin Island in 1890, where the dramatist and writer Dr Anton Chekhov is chronicling the plight of the inmates in the penal colony there.  

But something else is arriving on the island… A strange infection develops and the howls of a tortured beast can be heard… 

The Planet Killers by Andrew Smith (two parts) 

When the Doctor and Jo Jones arrive on a beautiful planet, little do they suspect they’ve landed right in the middle of events involving planetary destruction, ruthless exploitation of minerals, slavery and betrayal.  

A merciless Dalek plan is in motion, and the struggle to defeat them will cost many lives. 

Producer Heather Challands said: “We’re reuniting the Third Doctor with Jo Jones for this release, telling two stories that are very different from one another. 

“The Beasts of Sakhalin Island is a historical tale with that all-important Doctor Who twist. I was thrilled when this pitch came in and amazed that Anton Chekhov hadn’t already made his way into an episode. In this story, the Doctor and Jo are drawn to Sakhalin Island, where Chekhov is doing a census on the state of the penal colony inmates. But beyond horrifying conditions, there’s something worse lurking in the mines... 

“And The Planet Killers came about because we were approached by Bristol Old Vic Drama School to collaborate with them. I instantly thought that The Third Doctor Adventures would be a good fit. Not only are Tim and Katy wonderfully generous as leads, perfect for the graduates, but Barnaby Edwards was able to come on board to work with them and direct this episode. And it was a no-brainer to make things extra special by having them all receive a credit alongside the Daleks! This story is a proper sci-fi adventure with plenty of peril!” 

Big Finish listeners can purchase The Planet Killers in a bundle with the previous Third Doctor Adventures box set (The Imposters, released in February), for just £38 (download to own) or £47 (download to own + collector’s edition CD box set).  

Alternatively, listeners can buy this series as part of a bundle of all 15 Classic Doctor Who box sets released in 2026 for just £285 (download to own) or £352.50 (download to own + collector’s edition CD box set). 

All the above prices (including pre-order and multibuy bundle discounts) are fixed for a limited time only and guaranteed no later than 30 November 2026. 

Please note that Big Finish is currently operating a digital-first release schedule. The mail-out of collector’s edition CDs may be delayed due to factors beyond our control, but all purchases of this release unlock a digital copy that can be immediately downloaded or played on the Big Finish app from the release date.