The True Story Behind Doctor Who's Abandoned Anniversary Movie
1. The Project Is Eventually Realised By Fans
If we learned anything during the wilderness years of the 1990s, it's that when Doctor Who fans aren't satisfied to make do with existing Doctor Who, they make their own. Doctor Who fan DJ, missing episode hunter and "continuity advisor" Ian Levine has funded many such projects for his own private collection. He finished work on his version of The Dark Dimension back in 2012. He even managed to secure Sylvester McCoy and Sophie Aldred to voice their respective characters. There have been similar attempts to realise the potential of Rigelsford's script over the years.
The most high-profile and accessible of these is Pharos Features audio adaptation of a leaked version of the Dark Dimension script. Featuring a cast of fans and realised by numerous fan artists, the 2021 version of the abandoned project was recorded during the pandemic. Script editor and Fourth Doctor Matthew Toffalo told We Are Cult:
“It’s been a great pleasure playing a weary 90s-era Fourth Doctor and hearing the project come together with incredibly talented voice acting, editing, sound design and an equally impressive soundtrack. I look forward to finally being able to step inside The Dark Dimension upon its release.”
It's still available on YouTube, and it's likely the closest that fans will ever get to the Dark Dimension.