1.11 Escape Velocity (EDA 42)

Doctor Who - Pieces of Eighth

This week, Pieces of Eighth takes its first dip into the BBC Eighth Doctor Adventures, a series of original paperback novels featuring the Eighth Doctor, which were published by BBC Books from June 1997 until June 2005.

In that time, a total of 73 books were released, charting the adventures of the Doctor, with his friends, Sam Jones, Fitz Kreiner, Compassion, Anji Kapoor and Beatrix 'Trix' Macmillan. Along the way, they faced Daleks, the Master, Wirrrn, and new foes, like Sabbath - who stole the Doctor's second heart.

Becca and Kenny chat with Colin Brake, who penned Escape Velocity, the 42nd novel in the series, which concluded a story arc in which an amnesiac Doctor was trapped on Earth for a hundred years - and was finally reunited with Fitz, meets a new friend in Anji, and the TARDIS is restored.

Prophetically, it also features a space race between Pierre Yves-Dudoin and Arthur Tyler III, both competing to be the first privately funded man in space...