Stories Audio Drama Big Finish Main Range Main Range Episode 45 Project: Lazarus 1 image Overview Characters How to Listen Reviews 8 Statistics Related Stories Quotes 2 Overview Released Monday, June 23, 2003 Written by Mark Wright, Cavan Scott Publisher Big Finish Productions Runtime 105 minutes Story Type Multi-Doctor Time Travel Past, Future Tropes (Potential Spoilers!) Doctor cloned, Doctor Doppelgänger Story Arc (Potential Spoilers!) The Forge Trilogy Location (Potential Spoilers!) Dartmoor, Devon, Earth, England, Norway Synopsis "I'll survive Doctor. I always do." Unfinished business. A frightened girl is stalked in a land of eternal night. A hunter longs for recognition and power. A traveller in time returns to correct the mistakes of the past and faces a danger that could rob him of his future. Unless his future intervenes. And in the shadows stands Nimrod. Waiting... Welcome to the Forge. Listen Listened Favourite Favourited Add Review Edit Review Log a repeat Skip Skipped Unowned Owned Owned Save to my list Saved Edit date completed Custom Date Release Date Archive (no date) Save Characters Sixth Doctor Seventh Doctor Evelyn Smythe Nimrod First Appearance Edith Crumpton First Appearance Martin Frith First Appearance The Forge First Appearance Oracle Show All Characters (8) How to listen to Project: Lazarus: Listen on Apple Music Listen on Spotify Big Finish Audio Project Lazarus Reviews Add Review Edit Review Sort: Date (Newest First) Date (Oldest First) Likes (High-Low) Likes (Low-High) Rating (High-Low) Rating (Low-High) Word count (High-Low) Word count (Low-High) Username (A-Z) Username (Z-A) Spoilers First Spoilers Last 8 reviews 23 March 2025 · 554 words Review by ThetaSigmaEarChef Spoilers 1 This review contains spoilers! Just before starting this story, I mentioned that this was next up on my listening order in the Guide server, and all the Project: Lazarus haters crawled out of the woodwork and told me how awful it is. Now that I've listened, I have to say - I can't agree. I largely enjoyed this story (although I can see how it might not be for everyone), and am giving it 4 stars. Spoilers throughout. Loved this line from Evelyn: "Just trying to lighten the mood. It's what I do!" It was a great little nod to the role of the companion, but especially of Evelyn's role in darker stories. The "Sixth Doctor" (Lazarus)'s unsettling loyalty to Nimrod and insistence that he wouldn't lie to him... This is some toxic parent/child relationship material if I ever saw it... Gonna go see if I can find any fics about this hehe (UPDATE: there are only four (4) fics on AO3 about Nimrod. Someone needs to go fix this immediately!!) Also, that line about Evelyn never forgiving Sixie for what happened to Cassie, "right up to the end", nearly gave me a heart attack - I rushed to tardis.wiki to make sure this wasn't her last story! Cassie's death here felt brutal and out of place - which brings me to my negatives. There is some quite gritty and disturbing stuff that doesn't really go anywhere - it's not bad, persay, and I don't dislike it, I just feel like this all could have been done with a little more purpose. Similarly, the idea of "just following orders" crops up - the Forge is a military operation. It has soldiers, including one (Frith) who would make a great focaliser - why didn't they go harder on the nazi comparison? The whole thing just feels like a missed opportunity. Also, we never get to hear the Huldran's side of things - they are a silent victim, never allowed their own voices. This is I think my biggest problem with the story. Half the story is supposed to centre around them and their war with the Forge, and yet I barely know a thing about them! The story also occasionally suffers from "telling" instead of "showing". Usually it doesn't damage the story, but when Frith died and the only way we knew is because the Doctor said (rather too casually), that he must not have made it into the lift, that really took the story down for me. Creating the world of the Forge has been done really well, with the relationships between the characters being believable and making sense in a way that makes me feel for every one of them. Well, almost... I admit, I cannot wrap my head around Nimrod. I'm not sure I want to. There's a nice use of time lord telepathy. And, oh... raining again... Nice use of weather and circularity there. Ooh - "Maybe it's time I went home..." HELLO??? Foreshadowing at the end there, liked that - the story isn't over. Despite it's flaws (the telling instead of showing, the lack of purpose to it's violent themes, etc), I enjoyed this story overall. It never lost my interest, and made good use of some of my favourite concepts (especially around themes of the self). 3.5-4/5 (averaged to a '4'). ThetaSigmaEarChef View profile Like Liked 1 16 January 2025 · 337 words Review by KnuppMello Spoilers 2 This review contains spoilers! Original (Brazilian Portuguese) Translation (English) Segunda parte da trilogia da The Forge - Em "Project: Lazarus" temos o famoso formato de 2 em 1, o áudio é dividido em duas história ambas são interligadas, porém ainda são histórias soltas. O primeiro enredo é legalzinho até - ele envolve o 6° Doutor descobrindo uma possível cura para o vampirismo de Cassie, logo temos uma revelação que nos cria boas expectativas, vemos que a vampira sofreu uma lavagem cerebral e se aliou ao Nimrod para ajudá-lo nos projetos da Forge. Sem saída, o Doutor e Evelyn são levados de helicóptero até a central da Forge, a partir desse ponto a história se divide em dois blocos - O primeiro é o Nimrod apresentando ao Doutor o seu plano, ele pretende tentar extrair o fenômeno da Regeneração de um Senhor do Tempo para aplicar em seus soldados...Timeless Children cof cof cof. Mas o hype morre por aqui mesmo, não acontece nada demais e o Nimrod fracassa em seus planos. Já no segundo bloco é a Evelyn tentando fazer com que Cassie saia dessa hipnose e lembre de seu filho, isso gera um final bem bombástico e chocante. Agora falando de sua segunda história, basicamente é o 7° Doutor na Forge anos depois da primeira história - Lá ele descobre que Nimrod conseguiu criar clones do 6° Doutor...E é só isso, o Doutor vai lá, descobre o plano e detem...acabou. Nimrod demonstrou ser o que eu já imaginava que seria, um chefe malvadão genérico de um projeto maligno genérico, algo bem superficial. Ao todo "Project: Lazarus" repete o desempenho de seu antecessor (O Twilight), é um áudio bem regular que não apresenta nada de grandioso, pode se considerar como algo preocupante, pois trata-se da penúltima parte da trilogia então se esperava que "Lazarus" cria-se toda uma estrutura e um hype para a sua conclusão o "Project: Destiny", mas isso não acontece...é algo bem sem sal, nada empolgante, nada interessante. Second part of The Forge trilogy - In "Project: Lazarus" we have the famous 2-in-1 format, the audio is divided into two stories both of which are interconnected, however, they are still standalone stories. The first plot is quite cool - it involves the 6th Doctor discovering a possible cure for Cassie's vampirism, then we have a revelation that sets good expectations, we see that the vampire has been brainwashed and has joined forces with Nimrod to help him with the projects of the Forge. With no way out, the Doctor and Evelyn are taken by helicopter to the Forge's headquarters, from that point on the story is divided into two blocks - The first is Nimrod presenting his plan to the Doctor, he intends to try to extract the phenomenon of Regeneration from a Time Lord to apply in his soldiers...Timeless Children cough cough cough. But the hype dies right there, nothing much happens and Nimrod fails in his plans. In the second block, Evelyn tries to get Cassie out of this hypnosis and remember her son, which leads to a very explosive and shocking ending. Now talking about his second story, basically it's the 7th Doctor at the Forge years after the first story - There he discovers that Nimrod managed to create clones of the 6th Doctor...And that's it, the Doctor goes there, uncovers the plan and stops it...end of story. Nimrod proved to be what I had already imagined he would be, a generic evil boss of a generic evil project, something quite superficial. Overall, "Project: Lazarus" repeats the performance of its predecessor (The Twilight), it's a quite regular audio that doesn't present anything grandiose, it can be considered worrying, as it is the penultimate part of the trilogy so it was expected that "Lazarus" would build a whole structure and hype for its conclusion "Project: Destiny", but this doesn't happen...it's something quite bland, not exciting, not interesting. (Translation generated by AI, so mistakes are possible). KnuppMello View profile Like Liked 2 7 January 2025 · 207 words Review by 15thDoctor Spoilers 1 This review contains spoilers! The second half of this story is one of Colin Baker’s finest performances. He brings so much terror and emotion to his role as the cloned Doctor. It’s a beautiful *not quite* multi-Doctor story that outshines every other BF multi-Doctor story I’ve heard (even Cold Fusion). A proper plot to get their teeth stuck into (even if you work out pretty quickly that something is up with 6th Doctor). On that note - Big Finish has dreamed up few images more abhorrent than vats full of failed Colin Baker clones. Yuck! Imagine them all in their coats. Sylvester wins runner up prize for best performance - he is on stellar form as the sleuth of the episode, working out what has gone wrong with his predecessor and The Forge. The first half of this story, and the whole of it’s predecessor ‘Project: Twilight’ were interesting but less exceptional for me. In their defense I am not at all a fan of vampire stories and Evelyn and the 6th Doctor bring more than enough to the table with their character moments. We’re left on a bit of a cliffhanger regarding Evelyn’s health - I can’t wait to see how this unfolds! 15thDoctor View profile Like Liked 1 14 December 2024 · 706 words Review by MrColdStream Spoilers 2 This review contains spoilers! 📝9/10 Thworping through time and space, one adventure at a time! A TALE OF TWO DOCTORS: VAMPIRES, THE FORGE, AND TWISTS IN TIME Big Finish follows Project: Twilight with Project: Lazarus, a dark and complex multi-Doctor story by Cavan Scott and Mark Wright. This gripping adventure sees the Sixth Doctor and Evelyn on a vampire hunt, reuniting with Cassie, the woman they left behind in Norway, to offer her a cure for the vampire virus. However, they soon find themselves entangled in a sinister plot involving vampiric murders, scientific experimentation, and the mysterious Forge organisation. A Grim Start: Part 1 sets the stage with chilling ease, establishing the atmosphere and reintroducing key players like the manipulative Nimrod and the tragic Cassie. By Part 2, the focus shifts to the Forge’s experiments—using alien DNA to enable vampires to stun rather than kill their victims. While the Doctor investigates the Forge’s dark plans, Evelyn reconnects with Cassie, whose transformation into a vampire has made her bitter and angry. Evelyn’s own heart condition is a subtle yet poignant reminder of her vulnerability, adding layers to her character. The tension escalates dramatically when the Doctor is lured into a trap—Nimrod needs Time Lord regeneration knowledge for his experiments. In one harrowing scene, the Doctor endures immense pain as part of Nimrod's attempts to force him to regenerate. The conclusion of Part 2 is both shocking and sombre, as Cassie sacrifices herself to save the Doctor and Evelyn, leading to a gut-wrenching moment where Evelyn is left weeping alone in the TARDIS. A Twist in Time: Part 3 introduces an unexpected twist: the Seventh Doctor arrives at the Forge, only to discover the Sixth Doctor working for the organisation as their scientific advisor. This unusual take on a multi-Doctor story is fascinating. The Seventh Doctor is appalled by his predecessor’s apparent betrayal, while Six insists he’s trying to reform the Forge and prevent an invasion of Earth (an oddly underdeveloped subplot). The tension between the two incarnations is palpable, with Baker delivering a strikingly different performance. His version of Six is cowardly and conniving, raising doubts about his true identity. The reveal in Part 4—that this “Doctor” is a genetically engineered clone, one of many—adds a surreal and thrilling layer to the narrative. McCoy also excels as the Seventh Doctor, unleashing his manipulative side while uncovering the truth about his predecessor’s replacement. Dramatic Climax and Themes: The final act pulls together the narrative threads as Nimrod faces rebellion from his own organisation, with the Forge itself turning against him. While the techno-babble in the second half dilutes some of the earlier drama, the contrasting approaches of the two Doctors in dealing with the Huldrans keep the tension alive. The mystery of Evelyn’s whereabouts adds intrigue, though it frustratingly remains unresolved. Cassie’s arc is the story’s emotional heart. Rose Cavaliero shines as the now-vengeful Cassie (or Artemis), exploring her anger, newfound power, and tragic brainwashing to forget her son. Her journey raises weighty questions about the consequences of the Doctor’s actions. The supporting cast is a mixed bag. Stephen Chance commands attention as Nimrod, particularly in his confrontations with Baker and McCoy, while the Forge scientists are more one-dimensional, though Dr Crumpton’s rebellion against Nimrod adds a spark. Vidar Magnussen is memorable as Professor Harket, capturing the essence of scientific passion rooted in folklore, but his early death in Part 1 feels like a missed opportunity. Atmosphere and Sound: The Norwegian setting, with its dark, wintry November backdrop, builds a chilling and eerie atmosphere, perfectly complemented by the dramatic score and stellar sound design. These elements heighten the story’s most intense moments, keeping listeners on edge throughout. Final Thoughts: Project: Lazarus is an ambitious, thought-provoking tale that expertly weaves character drama with political intrigue and moral dilemmas. While its complex narrative occasionally stumbles, it offers a bold and compelling continuation of the Forge saga. The performances, particularly from Baker, Stables, and Cavaliero, elevate the story, delivering both emotional depth and gripping tension. A daring, multi-layered story that challenges its characters—and its audience—with haunting themes and clever twists. RANDOM OBSERVATIONS: Finland and Sweden are mentioned in passing - this makes me happy! MrColdStream View profile Like Liked 2 21 November 2024 · 517 words Review by thedefinitearticle63 Spoilers 2 This review contains spoilers! This is part of a series of reviews of Doctor Who in chronological timeline order. Previous Story: Doctor Who and the Pirates Better than Project: Twilight, but that's not saying much. It certainly has a lot less of the things I despised about it's predecessor but it's not without flaws. I'll start by talking about the first two parts. It picks up where we left off in Project: Twilight with the Doctor going back to meet up with Cassie only he overshot it so that this story could have a reason to exist. Long story short Cassie's evil now and it turns out everyone's favourite edgelord Nimrod is back. He's somehow an expert on Time Lords now. I get that there's an explanation for it, but it feels like a cheap attempt to artificially increase how much of a threat the Forge actually are. It was my main issue in the last story, that this new villain who's come out of nowhere is suddenly one of the Doctor's greatest enemies and is hyper-competent. To make this work though, they also had to make the Doctor rather incompetent. There's a gratuitous torture scene for the Doctor (because why not) and then Cassie dies and everyone escapes. Now I will say something positive, Maggie Stables' performance here is fantastic, maybe one of her best ones and she really sells just how utterly distraught Evelyn is at knowing Cassie is dead. The way she responds to 6's callousness is also fantastic and I'm glad to hear it gets picked up on in the next story. Now we get to the Seventh Doctor. Because I'm doing this in timeline order, this is my first ever experience of 7. Ever. From this, I really like Sylvester Mccoy, his performance is great here and I'm glad that he isn't portrayed as absolutely useless like 6 was earlier. He meets up with what is presumably the Sixth Doctor, I quite like their chemistry and it's fun to have that classic multi-doc banter. 7 uncovers the mystery behind 6's appearance here and it turns out he's a disposable clone. Previous 6 clones have died of a heart attack, had their throat slit and now had their arm ripped off (I'm beginning to think the writers don't like 6). 7 gets out of there but not before shutting them down and saving some aliens who feel rather out of place. And then we get a teaser that the Forge have survived because the writers just can't kill off their little pet organisation. All in all, the gore is toned down, which might seem ridiculous considering some of the things I described are already fairly rough. I think it could have done with just being a 7 story, the prequel stuff with 6 feels really tacked on and means we have two under-baked stories when we could have had one really solid complete one. Colin Baker, Maggie Stables and Sylvester Mccoy are giving this story everything they've got which is way more than this story deserves but at the very least it helps to make it a lot less dull. Next Story: Arrangements for War thedefinitearticle63 View profile Like Liked 2 Show All Reviews (8) Open in new window Statistics AVG. Rating192 members 3.77 / 5 GoodReads AVG. Rating369 votes 3.78 / 5 The Time Scales AVG. Rating231 votes 3.85 / 5 Member Statistics Listened 339 Favourited 33 Reviewed 8 Saved 9 Skipped 1 Related Stories Main Range • Episode 23 Project: Twilight Rating: 3.68 Story Skipped Audio Drama Reviews(10) More Actions View Sets Close Related Sets Set of Stories: Big Finish Main Range Set of Stories: Big Finish Main Range 1-50 Set of Stories: Main Range: Sixth Doctor Add Review Edit Review Skip Skipped Unowned Owned Save to my list Saved Main Range • Episode 139 Project: Destiny Rating: 3.87 Story Skipped Audio Drama Reviews(2) More Actions View Sets Close Related Sets Set of Stories: Big Finish Main Range Set of Stories: Big Finish Main Range 101-150 Set of Stories: Main Range: Seventh Doctor Add Review Edit Review Skip Skipped Unowned Owned Save to my list Saved The Companion Chronicles S7 • Episode 3 Project: Nirvana Rating: 3.34 Story Skipped Audio Book Reviews(2) More Actions View Sets Close Related Sets Set of Stories: The Companion Chronicles Add Review Edit Review Skip Skipped Unowned Owned Save to my list Saved New Worlds Project: Valhalla Rating: 3.46 Story Skipped Book More Actions Add Review Edit Review Skip Skipped Unowned Owned Save to my list Saved Short Trips - Rarities Twilight’s End Rating: 3.59 Story Skipped Audio Book More Actions View Sets Close Related Sets Set of Stories: Short Trips (Audio) Add Review Edit Review Skip Skipped Unowned Owned Save to my list Saved Quotes Add Quote Link to Quote Favourite Tags: Funny (The Doctor is humming as he tweaks the Tardis controls. Door opens and closes.) EVELYN: Good morning, Doctor. Good morning, Evelyn. I say, I like your new cardigan. Very fetching. Hmm. Well, I've made us some breakfast. It's nothing much, just some scrambled eggs, bacon, some toast, freshly brewed tea. Only took me a few minutes to rustle up. No bother at all. It's not as though it was your turn or anything. I keep meaning to ask you how the kitchen restocks itself. Every morning there are exactly six eggs and a fresh pint of milk in the fridge. And if I didn't know better, I'd say the bread was freshly baked too. You don't keep nipping out to the Co-Op when I'm asleep, do you? Doctor! DOCTOR: Hmm? Oh. Oh, good morning, Evelyn. I say, I like your new cardigan. Very fetching. EVELYN: Sometimes you amaze me. DOCTOR: Oh, good. Because I stopped amazing myself two centuries ago. Sorry, I'm a bit distracted this morning. Ooo, tea. Lovely. Four sugars? EVELYN: Of course. Just the way you like it. (Drinks, smacks lips.) — Project: Lazarus Show All Quotes (2) Open in new window