Of all the long-running shows in TV history, few have as many beloved villains as Doctor Who. From modern creations such as The Weeping Angels and The Silence to the utterly iconic Daleks and Cybermen, each incarnation of the titular Time Lord has done battle with all manner of strange and scary alien creatures, all seemingly with the intent of destroying whole planets and, sometimes, the universe itself. But no villain has proven more enduringly personal and the source of better-detailed drama on Doctor Who than The Master.
If including flashback performances, 12 people have played this ever-changing role in the timey-wimey series. From Roger Delgado‘s blueprint in the early 1970s to Michelle Gomez‘s game-changing first female incarnation in the mid-2010s, The Master’s rich history in the Doctor Who timeline has been well discussed. But of all these performances, the one that many would love to see return is Derek Jacobi‘s, as the iconic British actor was only awarded one episode in the role back in 2007, with the character unaware of his identity until the episode’s late reveal.
Well, almost two decades later, fans have got their wish courtesy of Big Finish Productions. It has been confirmed that the 88-year-old Jacobi has returned as The Master in a brand-new audio drama, The War Master: Deeds Without Name. The box set, which is officially available now, consists of four unmissable stories: “The Unstately Home” by Alison Winter, “Dead Man’s Pulse” by Mark Bowsher, “The Devil in the Detail” by David K Barnes, and “In His Anecdotage” by Matthew Sweet. In a statement, Jacobi said:
“The villains are always the best parts, absolutely. Being nasty and evil has somehow more depth than being good and heroic. And there’s a heroic aspect, certainly, to the Master. He’s got all the answers, all the exits and entrances. He’s the powerful one, he’s strong and assured and he knows he’s a winner.”
“The villains are always the best parts, absolutely. Being nasty and evil has somehow more depth than being good and heroic. And there’s a heroic aspect, certainly, to the Master. He’s got all the answers, all the exits and entrances. He’s the powerful one, he’s strong and assured and he knows he’s a winner.”
Your answers point to the iconic sci-fi hero who shares your instincts, your values, and your particular way of facing the impossible.
You carry a weight most people would crumble under — the knowledge of what you’re capable of, and the burden of what you might have to become.
- You see further ahead than others and you plan accordingly, even when the vision frightens you.
- You are driven by loyalty to your people and a sense of destiny you didn’t ask for but can’t escape.
- Paul Atreides is not simply a hero — he is someone who understands the cost of power and chooses to bear it anyway.
- That gravity, that willingness to carry what others won’t, is exactly you.
You lead with instinct, warmth, and an absolute refusal to accept a no-win scenario — because you’ve always believed there’s a third option nobody else has thought of yet.
- You take the mission seriously without ever taking yourself too seriously.
- Your crew would follow you anywhere, not because you demand it, but because you’ve earned it.
- Kirk’s genius isn’t tactical — it’s human. He reads people, bends rules with purpose, and wills outcomes into existence through sheer conviction.
- That combination of warmth, audacity, and relentless optimism is unmistakably yours.
You are the kind of person who holds the line when everyone else is losing faith — not because you’re fearless, but because giving up simply isn’t something you’re capable of.
- You lead through conviction. Your voice carries because your belief is unshakeable.
- You gave up everything ordinary the moment you chose the cause, and you’ve never looked back.
- Leia is not a supporting character in her own story — she is the moral centre of the entire rebellion.
- That same fierce, principled, unbreakable core is what defines you.
You are not reckless, not grandiose, and not particularly interested in being anyone’s hero — you just refuse to stop when it matters.
- You see threats clearly, you document the truth even when no one listens, and when the time comes you handle it yourself.
- Ripley’s heroism is earned, not performed. She doesn’t have a speech — she has a flamethrower and a plan.
- You share her composure under the worst possible pressure, and her refusal to pretend the monster isn’t there.
- When it counts, you don’t flinch. That’s everything.
You have been through fire that would break most people — and what came out the other side is something the world underestimates at its peril.
- You don’t ask for help, don’t need validation, and don’t wait for anyone to tell you the rules no longer apply.
- Your loyalty, when it finally arrives, is absolute — but it’s earned in silence and tested in action, not in words.
- Max is not a nihilist. He is someone who lost everything and found, against his will, that he still has something worth protecting.
- That bruised, stubborn, ultimately human core is exactly yours.
What Is the New ‘Doctor Who’ Audio Drama About?
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Image via BBC
Jacobi is joined by a talented voice cast in The War Master: Deeds Without Name. This includes Carolyn Seymour, Sorcha Cusack, Sarah Hadland, Josh Finan, and Ben Whitehead, with other guest stars including Kieran Hodgson, Cassie Bradley, Kathryn Drysdale, Chizzy Akudolu, and Will Keen. A synopsis for the audio drama reads:
“The super-rich elite residents of Aurora Mansions, a high-tech luxury retirement village and nursing home, have every imaginable comfort and amenity in their golden years. But the Master, posing as a cognitive hypnotherapist, is keen to demonstrate that no amount of money can provide sanctuary from the troubled mind… especially when he’s inside it.”
</blockquote>“The super-rich elite residents of Aurora Mansions, a high-tech luxury retirement village and nursing home, have every imaginable comfort and amenity in their golden years. But the Master, posing as a cognitive hypnotherapist, is keen to demonstrate that no amount of money can provide sanctuary from the troubled mind… especially when he’s inside it.”
For more Doctor Who updates, stay tuned to Collider.
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