Today ’s special guest star is...

Two incarnations of the same Time Lord living together in middle England. What could possibly go wrong? It’s time for the season finale of the fabulously funny sitcom everyone’s talking about, The Meddling Monks. But is it really a sitcom, or is something much darker going on? 

The Monk (Rufus Hound) and the Nun (Gemma Whelan) have started to notice that the world they’re living in isn’t quite right. To get to the bottom of things, they’ve called in help from a very special guest star – the Sixth Doctor (Colin Baker)! 

The Doctor sets out to help the Monks answer their many questions... How did they get to this strange world? How can they escape? And why is the mysterious John (John Finnemore) so insistent on everyone being funny? 

Dark Gallifrey: The Meddling Monks – Part Three is now available to purchase for just £8.99 (digital download to own) or £10.99 (download to own + single-disc collector’s edition CD), exclusively here. Please note: the collector’s edition CD is strictly limited to 1,000 copies and will not be re-pressed. 

The two full-cast audio episodes bringing the Monks’ story to a close are: 

Monky Puzzle 

An international jigsaw competition has come to town. Do the Monk and the Nun have time to compete before the arrival of a very special guest? There’s only one way to find out. What could possibly go wrong? 

Monky About 

What’s it all about? Well, it’s a Big Finish finale so there’s bound to be explosions and chases, with perhaps a starry cameo and a threat to all life on Earth. What could possibly go wrong? 

Dark Gallifrey: The Meddling Monks – Part Three guest stars the BBC Radio 4 comedy collaborators John Finnemore, Carrie Quinlan, and Simon Kane as the odd selection of characters known as John, Carrie and Simon, as well as Becky Wright as Becky. 

On making his Dark Gallifrey debut, Colin Baker said: “The script read like enormous fun, and it was! It’s quite rare for the Doctor to be involved in something so fanciful. One can dive in and luxuriate in the sheer pantomimic. 

“Working with Rufus and Gemma has been lovely. I am so old, I remember the original Meddling Monk, Peter Butterworth, so for me, he is a very familiar, warm, inviting character. It’s lovely to have him back, and Rufus and Gemma do it with great joy and brio.” 

Director Jonathan S Powell added: “Colin is in many ways my Doctor. I’ve done oodles of stories with Colin and I was delighted to see that he was the Doctor here – because he’s the radio Doctor, he’s the one who you want to appear in this story. I love working with Colin because he cares so much, he reads the scripts so thoroughly, he’s properly engaged.  

“And there’s a certain level to his comedy, where he does think he’s funnier than he is, but he’s also quite serious. He’s quite uppity and forthright and righteous. He’s the perfect Doctor to arrive in this world. The script describes him as the Doctor who doesn’t have any time for this sort of nonsense, and that is exactly what we need at this point in this story!” 

Praise for Dark Gallifrey: The Meddling Monks – Part Two: 

“John Dorney plays with some intriguing and frightening high-concept ideas that require all elements of the production to move together, and they do so beautifully.”
Doctor Who Magazine 

“This instalment belonged to Rufus Hound and Gemma Whelan. Their chemistry and comedic timing were incredible throughout.”
Sci-Fi Pulse 

“Absolutely superb, magical and impressive stuff. I just love it.”
Tin Dog Podcast 

Big Finish listeners can pre-order all three instalments of the Meddling Monks trilogy in a multibuy bundle for just £24 (download to own) or £30 (download to own + collector’s edition CD).  

Alternatively, a bundle comprising all six of 2026’s Dark Gallifrey instalments – which includes the Meddling Monks trilogy as well as a second trilogy, starring starring the Decayed Master – for just £50 (download to own) or £60 (download to own + collector’s edition CD). 

Other bundles are available: the complete Dark Gallifrey pre-order bundle, including all eight trilogies, each following a different renegade Time Lord, is just £188 (download to own).

All the above prices (including pre-order and multibuy bundle discounts) are fixed for a limited time only and guaranteed no later than 31 July 2026. 

Big Finish is currently operating a digital-first release schedule. The mailout of collector’s edition CDs will be delayed, 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.