Big Finish has just revealed the news that Star Trek‘s Chase Masterson is to return as Vienna Salvatori, the galaxy’s most glamorous assassin. Series two of Vienna will be released in February 2015 and sees me coming onboard as Producer.
To give you a little bit of background, Vienna was first introduced in the Doctor Who audio The Shadow Heart, with Chase starring against Sylvester McCoy’s Doctor. Chase, of course, was best known for her role as Leeta in Star Trek: Deep Space Nine as well as appearing in such popular shows as E.R and Sliders. Needless to say, she threw herself into the role as the sassy and no-nonsense hit woman.
Vienna soon spun-off into her own series, moving beyond the worlds of Doctor Who. The sassy bounty hunter’s adventures were met with rave reviews and, at the beginning of the year, I was asked to take over from series 1 producer Mark Wright. Working with script-editor Jonathan Morris – who also created the character – we went to studio last month with three brand new stories that take Vienna in a slightly different direction.
In Series 2, Vienna finds herself back on Earth and involved with Crime Corps, the company behind law enforcement in America of the future. The setting may be new, but the stories continue the tone of the first series. Vienna exists in a world where nothing is what it seems, not even your memories.
There’s another first in Series 2. Vienna gains a new partner, troubled cop Lieutenant Jexie Reagan, played by Samantha Béart. Samantha is no stranger to Big Finish, having appeared in 1963: The Space Race. SF fans may also know her from Dirk Maggs’ Radio 4 production of The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy: Quintessential Phase as well as her role of Random in The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy live tour.
I can’t wait for you to hear Chase and Sam working together. There’s a real spark there and they make a truly formidable pair. Vienna and Jexie soon develop into a unique pairing. Vienna isn’t used to having someone else around and Jexie isn’t about to let herself become anyone’s sidekick.
As announced by Big Finish, the Series 2 box-set contains three full-cast audio drama. Tabula Rasa by James Goss kicks everything off with Vienna finding herself in trouble and unable to remember anything – not even her name. Next up is Underworld by me, which sees Vienna and Jexie heading down into the dangerous Undercity beneath the city to discover why innocent citizens are being transformed into homicidal mobs. Finally, The Vienna Experience, by series creator Jonathan Morris, has Vienna coming to terms with her strange new life on Earth.
The best news is that we’re already starting work on series three. Word came through from Big Finish during recordings that series three had been green-lit and Jonny Morris and I are already busy plotting away.
In the meantime, why not pre-order series two of Vienna today. If you don’t, we might set Vienna on you!
Interesting news indeed – I look forward to finding out how the character has moved on from the first series. Nice twist having her work with the law – or does she?!
Indeed. You can never be sure with Vienna!