The Doctor's Beard Podcast

Lucky Shot Productions

A Whovian (John S. Drew) and a Newvian (writer/editor Jim Beard) walk into a TARDIS and retrace the journey of the Doctor and his companions from the very beginning.

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S11 · E193
September 26 · 1 hr 10 min
Oh, How the Ghost of You Clings - "The Ghosts of N-Space"
Note: This is a hiatus episode from our Wilderness Years coverage. Love the podcast? Consider joining us on Patreon for early access, exclusive episodes, and the option to commission your own Doctor Who story. For the next stop in the Wilderness Years, John and Jim take on The Ghosts of N-Space, the 1996 BBC Radio serial that stands as Jon Pertwee's final official, BBC-sanctioned turn as the Doctor before his passing that May. Reuniting Pertwee with Elisabeth Sladen and Nicholas Courtney, it's a follow-up (emphatically not a sequel) to The Paradise of Death—and this time, the hosts find themselves on strikingly opposite ends of the spectrum. One arrives braced for the worst and finds unexpected things to admire; the other has a genuine, visceral reaction unlike anything he's felt for any Doctor Who, good or bad. You'll want to stick around for where they each land. A Sequel Born From a Scheduling Mistake The hosts trace the odd path to production: adequate-but-unspectacular listenership for Paradise of Death, three years of foot-dragging, and the strange twist that a rerun aired with its episodes out of order—and the flood of complaints proved people were actually paying attention. Barry Letts and Phil Clark returned to write and direct, Letts himself novelized it (published a year before broadcast), and the story slots into the Pertwee TV era between Death to the Daleks and Monster of Peladon. Pertwee, Courtney, and the Sarah Jane Problem Where the hosts firmly agree: Pertwee is superb, with barely a trace of age in his voice, and Courtney's Brigadier is the heart of the thing—never more so than in a castle-defense sequence that showcases his decades of military strategy rather than played for laughs. Elisabeth Sladen gives it her all, but the hosts take real issue with how the script writes Sarah Jane—a savvy journalist who somehow doesn't know the word "synchronicity," reduced too often to a weeping, quaking Nervous Nellie rather than the headstrong reporter they love. The supporting cast is another matter entirely, and the hosts hold nothing back about a parade of broad accents and grating characters (the uncle, Maggie, and the eternally useless Jeremy chief among them). Ideas Worth Loving in a Story That Tests the Patience Both hosts find genuine merit in the concept: a ghost story handed a science-fiction backbone, with N-Space as a dimension where the earthbound dead accumulate into hostile fiends. There's out-of-body time travel the hosts wish the show had done more of, a heavy dose of Dark Shadows DNA (walled-up villains, essences sent back through time), and callbacks to the Doctor's criminal past, his mysterious teacher, and even a pinch of "mandragora." But it's also, by common agreement, a six-parter with the padding to match—tedious stretches, scenes that bleed together with no transitions, and page after page of characters narrating the action aloud because radio gave them no other choice. Not Your Grandfather's Doctor Who One thing genuinely startles both hosts: the language. This is a decidedly more permissive, adult-leaning production than the TV era it's set in, with some rough dialogue that lands especially oddly given the classic cast and 1970s setting. The hosts wrestle with who, exactly, this was aimed at. A Final Bow for the Third Doctor Underneath it all is the weight of finality. Plans for a third Pertwee radio series never came to be; he died on May 20, 1996, making this his last official performance as the Doctor. The hosts reflect on what it means that this is the send-off, how it stacks against The Five Doctors and even Dimensions in Time, and the feelings that surface when a beloved Doctor's final innings doesn't quite measure up to the actor who gave it everything. Production Details: Broadcast: BBC Radio 2, January 20 – February 24, 1996 (six half-hour episodes) Writer: Barry Letts | Director/Producer: Phil Clark (both returning from The Paradise of Death) Starring: Jon Pertwee (the Doctor), Elisabeth Sladen (Sarah Jane Smith), Nicholas Courtney (the Brigadier) Also Featuring: Richard Pierce (Jeremy Fitzoliver), Stephen Thorne (Max Vilmio), Sandra Dickinson (Maggie), Harry Towb (Mario), Deborah Berlin (Louisa) Music: Peter Howell of the BBC Radiophonic Workshop Timeline: Set in the TV era between Death to the Daleks and The Monster of Peladon Novelization: By Barry Letts, published 1995 (a year before broadcast) Significance: Jon Pertwee's final official BBC-sanctioned performance as the Doctor; he passed away May 20, 1996 Cast Connections: Stephen Thorne (Azal in The Dæmons, Omega in The Three Doctors, Eldrad in The Hand of Fear), Harry Towb (The Seeds of Death, Terror of the Autons), and Sandra Dickinson (Trillian in the BBC's Hitchhiker's Guide, and Peter Davison's first wife) Key Discussion Points: Why this is a follow-up, not a sequel, to The Paradise of Death The scheduling-error rerun that greenlit the whole production Pertwee and Courtney at their best (and the Brigadier's tactical showcase) The mishandling of Sarah Jane Smith's character The parade of grating supporting characters The strong central concept: ghosts given a science-fiction explanation The heavy Dark Shadows influence The surprising rough language and who the production was for Six episodes of padding and the challenge of exposition-by-narration on radio The weight of this being Pertwee's final bow as the Doctor Coming Up Next: Saturday (Main Feed): The 1996 TV Movie—already available here on the Patreon feed. Monday (Patreon Exclusive 187): Jim finally gets his Oompa theme, the Memory TARDIS, and the comics "Uninvited Guest," "Victims," and "The Lunar Stranger." Friday (Patreon): Steven Moffat's very first Doctor Who script—the Comic Relief spoof The Curse of Fatal Death. A lighter, funnier one, for a change. Hashtags: #DoctorWho #ThirdDoctor #JonPertwee #SarahJaneSmith #Brigadier #BBCRadio #WildernessYears #TheGhostsOfNSpace #DoctorWhoPodcast
S11 · E188
September 19 · 1 hr 21 min
The Backseat Brig and the Theme Park of Doom - "The Paradise of Death"
Note: This is a hiatus episode, part of our Wilderness Years series for Patreon subscribers. Love the podcast? Consider joining us on Patreon for early access to episodes, exclusive content, and the option to commission your own Doctor Who story. Show Notes: Nostalgia, Recorded at 5:45 in the Morning For their first dip into the 1990s Wilderness Years, John and Jim take on The Paradise of Death—the five-part BBC Radio serial that brought Jon Pertwee, Nicholas Courtney, and Elisabeth Sladen back together in 1993 for Doctor Who's 30th anniversary. It's a lavishly produced piece of nostalgia with everyone slipping effortlessly back into their roles, and Jim surprises himself by having far more to say about it than he expected. But it's also, both hosts agree, a real mixed bag—one that runs long enough to test even a devoted listener's attention. A Theme Park That Predicted the Future Space World, London's flashy new amusement park, runs on "ER"—Experienced Reality, a full-immersion virtual experience that the hosts note eerily anticipates where technology sits today. The opening episode earns near-universal praise from both hosts, complete with a sound effect for entering VR that somehow just works. From there, the story spirals out to an alien world, a corporation with sinister motives, gladiatorial games, and a plant with a very dark secret. When You Bring Back the Legends But Don't Give Them Much to Do Here's where the hosts wrestle with the production. Jon Pertwee shines and the female guest character, Onya, nearly steals the whole thing—but the Brigadier spends most of the story, as Jim dubs him, the "backseat Brig," and Sarah Jane is saddled with more victim duty (and with the widely loathed new photographer Jeremy Fitzoliver) than the fans would have liked. There's a debate about whether leaning on nostalgia alone is enough when the beloved characters aren't given real material, and a discussion of the ways Barry Letts's script reaches for a more "mature" register than classic TV Who ever did—some of it landing, some of it distinctly uncomfortable. A Continuity Snag Only a Barry Letts Could Introduce In a move that baffled fandom, the script stages a first-time introduction between two characters who had already met on screen. The hosts dig into exactly where and when that introduction really happened, why nobody in the room caught the error, and what it reveals about how much (or how little) oversight this side project got. There's a running argument that a Terrance Dicks-style continuity person could have saved the production from itself. Reverse the Polarity of the What Now? One creative choice genuinely sours Jim: the story pauses to deconstruct a certain beloved Third Doctor catchphrase, explaining away something that never needed explaining. It sparks a lively debate about which Doctor catchphrases should simply be left alone (Allons-y, my giddy aunt, brave heart) and whether taking the Mickey out of Pertwee's signature line crosses a line of its own. There's a happier callback later, too—a Venusian lullaby and a fondly remembered name from the Pertwee era that the hosts were delighted to hear. A Death That Actually Lands Amid the mixed feelings, the hosts single out a genuinely affecting moment of grief in the final episode—the kind of heartfelt reaction to a character's death that earlier Doctor Who so often skipped right past. It's a reminder of what the production gets right even as the hosts find their attention wandering through the sprawling later episodes. Production Details: Broadcast: BBC Radio 5, August 27 – September 24, 1993 (five 30-minute episodes) Writer: Barry Letts | Director: Phil Clark (who would return for the sequel) Starring: Jon Pertwee (the Doctor), Nicholas Courtney (Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart), Elisabeth Sladen (Sarah Jane Smith), Jane Slavin (Onya) Villains: Harold Innocent (Freeth), Peter Miles (Tragan) Also Featuring: Maurice Denham (the President), Richard Pierce (Jeremy Fitzoliver), Jonathan Tafler (Captain Waldo Rudley) Title Music: Ron Grainer, arranged by Peter Howell; additional music by Peter Howell of the BBC Radiophonic Workshop Doctor Who Veterans in the Cast: Peter Miles (Dr. Lawrence in Doctor Who and the Silurians, Professor Whitaker in Invasion of the Dinosaurs, Nyder in Genesis of the Daleks), Maurice Denham (Professor Edgeworth in The Twin Dilemma), and more Context: Produced to give Doctor Who a presence for its 30th anniversary, alongside the success of the Virgin novels; the sequel The Ghosts of N-Space would air in 1996, shortly before Pertwee's death Novelization: By Barry Letts (a faithful transcription with little added) Key Discussion Points: Why the first episode is the strongest and how VR/ER anticipates modern technology The "backseat Brig" problem and Sarah Jane's reduced role The uselessness of Jeremy Fitzoliver The baffling on-air "introduction" of two characters who'd already met The more mature/edgy touches (the death penalty debate, Tragan's menace, political commentary) and whether they belong The decision to deconstruct a classic Pertwee catchphrase Which Doctor catchphrases should be left untouched Why even the biggest names (Barry Letts, Stephen King) still need an editor Could this have been a story for a different Doctor and companion team? The heartfelt handling of a character death in the finale Coming Up Next (Patreon): Monday (Patreon Exclusive 182): Music, the Memory TARDIS wheel, and two single-part Doctor Who Magazine comics—"A Glitch in Time" and "Evening's Empire" (though there's a tale behind that second one). Wednesday (Main Feed): Shada—already available here on the Patreon feed, now shared with the main feed to mark its VHS-era timing. Friday (Patreon): Dimensions in Time—the Children in Need multi-Doctor special. Jim finally sees what all the fuss is about, with guest podcaster JB Anderton joining the discussion. Hashtags: #DoctorWho #ThirdDoctor #JonPertwee #SarahJaneSmith #Brigadier #BBCRadio #WildernessYears #TheParadiseOfDeath #DoctorWhoPodcast
S26 · E187
September 12 · 2 hr 8 min
McCoy, the 80s, and Classic Who: The Grand Retrospective
Note: This is a hiatus episode, kicking off our Wilderness Years series for Patreon subscribers. Love the podcast? Consider joining us on Patreon for early access to episodes, exclusive content, and the option to commission your own Doctor Who story. Rather than three separate retrospective episodes that might send listeners running, John and Jim fold the whole reckoning into one: a look at the McCoy era, a widening out to the John Nathan Turner 80s, and finally a rapid-fire superlatives round covering all of Classic Who—plus a pile of statistics for the numbers lovers. The Square Peg Doctor The conversation opens with Sylvester McCoy and a genuinely thorny question: after six previous incarnations, what's left to do with the character? The hosts wrestle with McCoy's wild tonal swings—slapstick one minute, psychedelia the next, genuine darkness after that—and whether he was just finding his footing when the axe fell. There's a debate about what one-word label fits him (the Dark Doctor? the Manipulative Doctor? something else entirely?), a discussion of whether he's defined more by his companion than himself, and an honest reckoning with whether another season might have changed everything. Plus: the two greatest actor-companion pairings in the show's history, and why one of them is McCoy and Aldred. In Defense Of (and Frustration With) the John Nathan Turner Era The 80s segment doesn't pull punches. The hosts trace JNT's arrival, the new music, the modernized sets, the plum outfit Tom Baker inexplicably loved—and the long, complicated decline that followed. There's a pointed argument about how much blame falls on producers versus script editors, a provocative thesis about who really "killed" Doctor Who, and a fascinating counterfactual: what would 80s Who have looked like without JNT at the helm? The hosts also make the case for the BBC itself as a villain of the piece, and float what might have saved the show (theatrical movies? a UNIT revival tuned to the Reagan-Thatcher era? Benton's return? leaning into other media?). The Superlatives: All of Classic Who, Rapid-Fire This is where longtime listeners lean in. Favorite Doctor, favorite companion, favorite story, favorite regeneration, favorite monster and villain, and the most underrated story you'd hand a skeptic—each host makes their picks, and they rarely line up. Favorite Doctor is an easy call for one host and a predictable-but-defended choice for the other, with a surprising reappraisal of a much-maligned incarnation along the way. Favorite companion comes down to a hard-fought shortlist of three, and one host's winner may surprise people (hint: it's the character he considers "era-less"). Favorite story required whittling down a whole column of top-rated picks to a single title—and one host reveals which two Doctors never earned a perfect score from him. The regeneration question produces one of the episode's most contrarian takes. And the "underrated gem" picks range from a First Doctor historical to a Second Doctor classic to a Fourth Doctor story that shifts genres entirely partway through. There's also a spirited defense of a Colin Baker story fandom loves to hate, an argument about which creature is the true face of Doctor Who, and a Delgado-versus-Ainley Master debate that lands firmly on one side. The Statistics For the data lovers: the most-downloaded episode for each Doctor (some genuinely surprising—one of them is a story you can only half-watch, another is a Baker tale neither host rated highly), the stories that landed in the 14.5-to-15 range (three of the five share a common enemy), the lone story that bottomed out near the very bottom of the scale, and the full ranking of all seven Doctors by average rating. Then both hosts rank the Doctors by personal preference, and discover they line up in exactly one spot. Production Details: Format: Three-part retrospective (McCoy era / the 1980s / Classic Who overall + statistics) Ratings Scale Discussed: The hosts' 1-to-15 system across the entire classic run Statistical Segments: Most-downloaded episode per Doctor, highest- and lowest-rated stories, full Doctor rankings by average score and by personal preference Key Discussion Points: Whether McCoy was hitting his stride right as the show ended The "square peg" problem of the seventh incarnation The two best actor-companion relationships in the classic run How much of the 80s decline lands on JNT, the script editors, or the BBC What 80s Who might have looked like under a different producer The all-Classic-Who superlatives and where the hosts disagree Which two Doctors never earned a 15 from one host The Daleks (and Davros) versus the Cybermen as the face of the show The Delgado vs. Ainley Master debate The download statistics and what they reveal about listener interest What the hosts want from New Who as they head into the Eccleston era Coming Up Next (Patreon): Next Week: The Paradise of Death—the five-part BBC audio drama reuniting Jon Pertwee, Nicholas Courtney, and Elisabeth Sladen. The Week After: Dimensions in Time—JNT's last hurrah, the two-part Children in Need charity special. Then: Whatever Happened to Susan Foreman?—the BBC radio docudrama. And Finally: Downtime—the fan video reuniting the Brigadier with Sarah Jane and Victoria against the Yetis, before we tackle the 1996 TV Movie. Monday (Patreon Exclusive 181): Music, Memory TARDIS, and the four-part comic "The Good Soldier" by Andrew Cartmel. Hashtags: #DoctorWho #ClassicWho #SylvesterMcCoy #JohnNathanTurner #Retrospective #Superlatives #WildernessYears #DoctorWhoStatistics #DoctorWhoPodcast
S192 · E26
September 5 · 2 hr 13 min
These Shoes! They Fit Perfectly. - The 1996 TV Movie
Note: This is a hiatus episode from our Wilderness Years coverage—the pivot point between Classic and New Who, and the story where Jim's own Doctor Who journey began. Love the podcast? Consider joining us on Patreon for early access, exclusive episodes, and the option to commission your own Doctor Who story. Three and a half years. That's how long John and Jim have been traveling toward this exact moment. After every televised Classic serial and a long stretch of Wilderness Years curiosities, they finally arrive at the 1996 TV Movie—the strange, beautiful anomaly in the negative zone between old and new Who. It's a big one, and the hosts give it the full two-hour treatment. It Is Doctor Who, and It Isn't The central tension both hosts keep circling: this is unmistakably Doctor Who—TARDIS, regeneration, the Master, a delightfully off-kilter hero—and yet it's filmed, lit, and paced like a mid-'90s American TV movie (one host insists it smacks of the '80s). They dig into what makes it feel simultaneously familiar and foreign, why the darkness (literal and tonal) pushes against the classic feeling, and how, for all its Americanization, Paul McGann almost single-handedly holds the Britishness together. And they push back on the lazy "it's basically American" take—writer, director, and producer were all British-born. The Long, Strange Road to Getting Made A signature Doctor's Beard production deep-dive: Philip Segal's years-long campaign to bring Doctor Who to American screens, Spielberg and Amblin circling the project, the BBC's two warring minds (Enterprises wanting the merchandising to continue, Drama wanting the "tatty old show" gone), the abandoned Ulysses/Borusa "searching for his father" script, and the tangle of three masters Segal had to please. The hosts trace how the pilot came together, why Fox insisted on an American villain, and the wild casting names that circled the Doctor before McGann (Eric Idle, Alan Rickman, Michael Crawford—and, memorably, David Hasselhoff). Paul McGann, and Why He Earns It Both hosts land firmly in the McGann camp. They talk through the moment the Doctor's memory floods back on those "warm Gallifreyan nights," the joyous shoe-recognition beat that instantly signals this is the Doctor, and why—despite reservations about the wig and the look—McGann sells the role completely. There's a spirited defense of the movie's most poignant moments as some of the finest in all of Who, and a discussion of how much of RTD's revival is seeded right here (the hand-holding "run!", the kiss, the summer-blockbuster energy). The Master, from Robotic to... Vamping Eric Roberts divides the hosts less than expected—one arrives braced for scenery-chewing and finds him surprisingly restrained early on, before the notorious third-act shift into full theatrical vamp. They debate whether this Master leans too far toward Ainley and not enough toward Delgado, how the portrayal became the template for the manic New Who Masters to come, and the murkier plot business (the snake essence, the stolen body, the "I always dress for the occasion" of it all). An Ignoble End for the Seventh Doctor Even the McCoy skeptic in the room feels for him here. The hosts wrestle with how little the outgoing Doctor is given—a single peaceful moment with a book and jazz before the whole thing goes wrong, no close-up, no line on stepping out, and a rough operating-table death scored over Puccini. They make the case that the Puccini alone would have played more nobly, and wish the Seventh Doctor had gotten pithier last words. The TARDIS That Changed Everything One host calls it his all-time favorite console room—the cathedral-like cloister space bleeding out into the whole interior—while noting it could never have worked on a weekly TV budget. Either way, it's another piece of DNA the modern show inherited, right down to the handbrake every TARDIS has had since. A Rights Maze, and the Ghost of Grace Holloway The hosts untangle who actually owns this thing (a Batman/Lost in Space-style split across the BBC, Fox, and Universal), why Grace and Chang Lee can't be referenced or revived elsewhere, and the small heartbreak of the later McGann regeneration short pointedly skipping Grace's name. A fascinating detour into the parallel rights headaches of the Godzilla films rounds it out. Odds, Ends, and Things to Put a Pin In The Superman-style credits, the Debney theme as a hint of themes to come, the half-human "on my mother's side" business the hosts happily absolve you of worrying about, the different US and UK cuts (including altered Dalek voices), the dedication to Jon Pertwee, and the genuinely lovely final beat where the Doctor extends a hand to save even the Master. Production Details: Premiere: May 12, 1996 (Canada) | May 14, 1996 (Fox, USA) | May 27, 1996 (BBC One, UK) Official Title: Doctor Who (unofficially subtitled The Enemy Within) Writer: Matthew Jacobs | Director: Geoffrey Sax | Producer: Philip Segal (all British-born) Filmed: January 15 – February 21, 1996, in Vancouver, Canada Budget: ~$5 million (Fox $2.5M; BBC Television £300k; BBC Worldwide and Universal splitting the remainder) Starring: Paul McGann (the Eighth Doctor), Eric Roberts (the Master, the first American to play an established Who villain), Daphne Ashbrook (Dr. Grace Holloway), Yee Jee Tso (Chang Lee), Sylvester McCoy (the Seventh Doctor) Music: Original theme arranged by John Debney Same-Day Tie-ins: Novelization (Gary Russell) and a making-of book Dedication: To Jon Pertwee, who died May 20, 1996, days before the UK broadcast Ownership: Split across the BBC, Fox, and Universal—the reason Grace and Chang Lee can't be reused Key Discussion Points: Why the movie feels simultaneously like and unlike Doctor Who The years-long, Spielberg-adjacent journey to getting it made The BBC's civil war between Enterprises and Drama Fox's American-villain stipulation and the McCoy "keep him quiet" compromise Paul McGann as the Doctor, and the reservations about the look How much of RTD-era Who is seeded in this one movie Eric Roberts' Master and the template it set for New Who The Seventh Doctor's ignoble send-off The console room as both gorgeous and impractical The rights maze and the vanishing of Grace Holloway The half-human line, and permission to ignore it Coming Up Next: Saturday (Main Feed): Tom Baker takes on Sherlock Holmes in The Hound of the Baskervilles—from the Patreon vault. Monday (Patreon Exclusive 186): A fan-proposed theme for Circuit Breaker (a theme for Jo Martin's Fugitive Doctor), the Memory TARDIS, and the comics "Final Genesis," "Time and Time Again," and "Cuckoo." Friday (Patreon): The Wilderness Years resume with Jon Pertwee's final turn as the Doctor in the six-part BBC Radio adventure The Ghosts of N-Space. Did Barry Letts and company learn the lessons of The Paradise of Death—or double down? Hashtags: #DoctorWho #TVMovie #EighthDoctor #PaulMcGann #EricRoberts #TheMaster #SylvesterMcCoy #GraceHolloway #ClassicWho #WildernessYears #DoctorWhoPodcast
S18 · E144
August 29 · 1 hr 1 min
A Baker-Rated Situation - "The Hound of the Baskervilles"
Note: This is a hiatus episode, part of the Wilderness Years series. Love the podcast? Consider joining us on Patreon for early access to episodes, exclusive content, and the option to commission your own Doctor Who story. Tom Baker Wearing a Sherlock Holmes Mask When Tom Baker signed on to play Sherlock Holmes in the BBC's 1982 adaptation of The Hound of the Baskervilles, the hosts expected brilliance—an alien intelligence wrapped in the detective's coat, bringing the mysterious, otherworldly quality Baker had mastered as the Doctor. Instead, what emerged was a performance so restrained it felt like he was reading lines from a script rather than inhabiting the character. One host summed it up perfectly: Baker looks like he's wearing a paper mask of Sherlock Holmes that literally says "Sherlock Holmes" on the forehead—recognizable as the character, but somehow still fundamentally Baker doing an impression of what he thinks Holmes should be, rather than becoming Holmes. A Watson Story with the Wrong Focus The story itself—one of Conan Doyle's four Holmes novels—is genuinely more Watson's tale than Holmes's. Holmes disappears for large stretches while Watson investigates the mystery on the moor, interacting with the household at Baskerville Hall, and gathering clues. This is Watson's chance to prove himself, to apply Holmes's methods, to earn praise from his mentor. The hosts recognized this structure and appreciated how the adaptation leaned into it. Terrence Rigby's Watson is good—more aligned with Doyle's original vision than Nigel Bruce's bumbling caricature. The problem: Baker's Holmes is so uncomfortable, so clearly second-guessing himself, that he undercuts every scene he's in. A Production Full of Doctor Who Faces Behind and in front of the camera, this was a Doctor Who reunion. Barry Letts produced it. Terrence Dicks served as story editor. Alexander Baron adapted the script. The cast included Hubert Reeves (chief engineer in Fury from the Deep, Captain Ransom in The War Games, John Stevenson in The Seeds of Doom), William Squire (the Shadow in The Armageddon Factor), and Morris Perry (leader of the IMF troop in The Colony in Space). The production itself was solid—good sets, striking location work on the moors, money was spent. The problem was always the central performance. What Everyone Thought, Then and Now At the time, the series ran in the afternoon rather than evening—a sign the BBC lacked confidence even as it aired. The BBC later apologized for Baker's performance. He himself has been critical, appearing on the DVD commentary in Australia to discuss his own unhappiness with the role. The Independent called him "oddly flat" compared to Basil Rathbone, Peter Cushing, and Jeremy Brett. A book titled A Study in Error: The Ten Worst Sherlock Holmes apparently includes this adaptation. Yet both hosts argue this reputation is undeserved—the production is competent, the adaptation faithful, and only Baker's restraint truly hampers it. The Dog That Didn't Want to Attack One charming behind-the-scenes detail: the dog playing the hound became very fond of the actor playing the murdered Baskerville and refused to attack him on cue. Instead of jumping and snarling, the dog wanted pets and hugs. They had to work around the animal's affection to create the necessary threatening scenes. A Series That Never Happened The plan was for this to be the beginning of a series of Tom Baker Sherlock Holmes adaptations. The poor reception killed that idea. The BBC made another Holmes adaptation the next year with a different actor, effectively trying to wash the taste of this one away. Production Details: Air Date: October 3–24, 1982 Network: BBC (aired afternoons, not prime time) Adapter: Alexander Baron | Director: Peter Hammond Producer: Barry Letts | Story Editor: Terrence Dicks Main Cast: Tom Baker (Sherlock Holmes), Terence Rigby (Dr. Watson), Nicholas Woodison (Sir Henry Baskerville) Notable Guest Cast: Hubert Reeves (Inspector Lestrade) William Squire (Franklin) Morris Perry (Barrymore) Structure: Four-part serial Filmed Locations: English moors, Baskerville Hall sets Notable Detail: The dog playing the hound had to be coaxed to attack; it preferred affection to aggression Key Discussion Points: Why Baker seems to be reading lines rather than inhabiting the character Whether booking Baker was a scheduling decision (he's absent for large portions of the story) Why Hound of the Baskervilles is fundamentally a Watson story, not a Holmes story Terrence Rigby's Watson as more true to Doyle's original than other adaptations The paradox of Holmes as an "alien" character—brilliant beyond human comprehension, unable to relate to mortals Why Baker should have brought his alien-Doctor energy to the role The quality of the production itself (sets, locations, costumes) despite Baker's performance Nicholas Woodison's uncomfortable American accent as Sir Henry The "getting to know you" montage as shorthand storytelling Recognizing Carolyn John (who played Elizabeth Shaw in Season Seven) as Mrs. Lyons Why this adaptation is unfairly maligned compared to other Holmes performances The BBC's apology and Baker's own criticism of his work Coming Up Next: Wednesday (Patreon Exclusive 137 or 138): Music discussion, "The Stars Fell on Stockbridge" comics, and a review of "Creatures of Beauty" (Peter Davison and Sarah Sutton audio). Friday (Patreon Early) / Monday (Main Feed): Back to Classic Doctor Who with "Arc of Infinity" (Season 20, four-parter with Peter Davison). Hashtags: #DoctorWho #TomBaker #SherlockHolmes #TheHoundOfTheBaskervilles #1982 #ClassicBBC #WildernessYears #ProductionTrivia #ConanDoyle #DoctorWhoPodcast
S11 · E121
August 22 · 58 min
These Aren't the Time Lords You're Looking For - "Doctor Who and the Daleks and the Seven Keys to Doomsday"
Note: This is a hiatus episode, originally a Patreon Exclusive, airing on the main feed during the break between Classic and New Who. Love the podcast? Consider joining us on Patreon for early access to episodes, exclusive content, and the option to commission your own Doctor Who story. When Budget Constraints Force an Impossible Choice In 1974, the BBC wanted a stage play featuring Doctor Who. Terrence Dicks was brought in to write it. But immediately, a problem emerged: they had money for either John Pertwee (still playing the Doctor on television) or the Daleks. They couldn't afford both. The choice seemed obvious to everyone involved—go with the Daleks. They would draw the audiences. After all, kids coming to see a Doctor Who stage play wanted to see the show's most famous villains. So Pertwee stayed on television, and a new actor named Trevor Martin became the Doctor on stage. A Regeneration Scene Every Single Night At the beginning of every performance, the audience witnessed something unique: they saw the ailing Third Doctor (Pertwee's costume, a white wig, his back to the audience) collapse on stage. Above them, a giant screen showed John Pertwee's face slowly morphing via projected slides into Trevor Martin's face. While the audience watched that transformation, Martin was on the stage floor removing the wig and revealing himself as the new Doctor. It was meta theater decades before the term became common—the audience became part of the story. A Short Run Cut Even Shorter by History The play premiered December 16, 1974, in London. It received decent reviews, but it was underfunded and ultimately lost money. A planned national tour never happened. Why? The production coincided with the height of IRA bombing threats in London. Theater districts were evacuated. Performances were canceled. Bomb scares shut down entire neighborhoods. In the end, the threats and closures cost the production far more than lack of audience interest ever could. Lost Media, Lost History Unlike the BBC television productions, which had photographers documenting them for posterity (leading to the famous Tele-Snaps), no one filmed or even photographed the stage play in any systematic way. The sets, the Dalek designs (which were reportedly different from both TV and movie versions), the TARDIS interior, the lighting design—all of it exists only in the memories of those who saw it and the words of the script. No one bothered to record it for posterity. By contrast, the 1989 stage production "The Ultimate Adventure" (with Pertwee and later Colin Baker) was filmed and preserved. In the 1970s, apparently the thought never occurred to anyone. A Casting Callback You Might Not Expect Trevor Martin, the stage Doctor, had previously appeared in Doctor Who television—he was one of the three Time Lords who banished Patrick Troughton to Earth in "The War Games." So he wasn't unknown to Doctor Who production. More interestingly, Wendy Padbury (Zoe from the Second Doctor era) played Jenny in the original stage production. For the 2008 Big Finish audio adaptation, her daughter Charlie Hayes played Jenny, creating a direct lineage from the original theatrical performance to the modern audio drama. The 2008 Adaptation: A Faithful Recreation of an Unseen Original Terrence Dicks was brought in to adapt his own 34-year-old script for Big Finish. The producer John Ainsworth asked if Dicks wanted to make changes. Dicks said no—he tightened a few things for pacing, but the dialogue and structure remained essentially what he wrote for the stage. For the audio, they brought Trevor Martin back to reprise his role. They also brought in Nicholas Briggs to voice the earlier regeneration of the Doctor (the Pertwee version briefly heard at the top). Questions of Canonicity That May Never Be Answered Unlike Peter Cushing's film Doctors, who exist in an alternate universe and were later acknowledged in New Who, the stage Doctor and this play exist in a strange limbo. The play was never televised. It's not part of the main canon. Trevor Martin and this incarnation don't appear in anniversary specials. When the Thirteenth Doctor sees echoes of previous incarnations in "The Power of the Doctor," this Doctor isn't among them. So where does he fit? Nowhere official. He's canon in the same way Big Finish's licensed audio productions are canon—for those who accept them as such, and for no one else. A Story That Desperately Wants to Be Seen, Not Heard Both hosts find themselves wrestling with the same fundamental problem: Doctor Who works best as a visual medium. Listening to a stage play script without knowing what the production looked like—how they solved the problem of the TARDIS materializing and dematerializing on stage, how they managed Dalek movement in a live theater setting, what the alien planet actually looked like—creates a void of imagination that the audio alone can't fill. The hosts spend considerable time wondering about these production details rather than focusing on the story itself. An Interesting Question That's Never Been Asked One conversation point emerges that becomes surprisingly fascinating: has there ever been a female Dalek? In 60 years of Doctor Who—television, audio, novels, comics—no one has ever given a Dalek a female voice. During this adaptation, Jenny (a female character) ends up inside a Dalek casing and must speak with the Dalek modulation. For the first time in Who history, listeners hear what a female Dalek sounds like. The hosts wonder why this idea has never been explored in official productions, and discuss what an "Empress Dalek" might mean for Dalek mythology. Production Details: Original Stage Play Premiere: December 16, 1974 (London) Writer: Terrence Dicks Original Director: Mick Hughes Original Cast: Trevor Martin (the Doctor), Wendy Padbury (Jenny), various supporting actors Reason for Short Run: IRA bombing threats and theater closures in London; planned national tour canceled Big Finish Audio Adaptation: October 2008 Audio Director: John Ainsworth Audio Cast: Trevor Martin (reprising the Doctor from 1974), Charlie Hayes (Jenny, daughter of original Jenny actress Wendy Padbury), Nicholas Briggs (Pertwee's Doctor in voiceover) Runtime: Presented in two parts (~50 minutes, ~30 minutes) Status: Not considered canon to main Doctor Who timeline; exists as a Big Finish exclusive Budget: £5,000 (estimated for original stage production) Surviving Documentation: Script only; no film, video, or systematic photography of the original production Key Discussion Points: The forced choice between Pertwee and the Daleks, and why the Daleks won The nightly regeneration scene as audience participation theater Why no one recorded or photographed the original stage production The impact of IRA bombing threats on the production's survival How Trevor Martin's previous Doctor Who appearance affects viewing of this role The significance of Wendy Padbury's daughter playing Jenny in the audio Why a female Dalek voice is notable and why it's never been done before The story vs. the production: what we're missing by only having audio The canonicity question and how it differs from Peter Cushing's Doctor Who films Whether the play would have continued if it had been financially successful Coming Up Next: Monday (Patreon Exclusive): We discuss "Lux" from the Ncuti Gatwa era. Jim handles narration. Wednesday (Patreon Exclusive): Music, Memory TARDIS, and comics including a story from the Doctor Who Annual from 1966 featuring "Mission for Duh." Friday (Patreon Early) / Saturday (Main Feed): Season 17 premiere, "Destiny of the Daleks" (four-parter)—Tom Baker's penultimate season begins. #DoctorWho #SevenKeysToDoomsday #TrevorMartin #TerenceDicks #ClassicWho #StagePlay #BigFinish #1974 #TheaterHistory #DoctorWhoPodcast #WildernessYears
S11 · E178
August 15 · 59 min
Johnny Benton's Wilderness Years: The First Professional Spinoff - "Wartime"
Note: This is a hiatus episode, originally a Patreon Exclusive, airing on the main feed during the break between Classic and New Who. Love the podcast? Consider joining us on Patreon for early access to episodes, exclusive content, and the option to commission your own Doctor Who story. A Producer's Frustration Becomes the First Professional Spinoff In 1988, Keith Barnfather—a producer known for his decades-long "Myth Makers" interview series—had an idea. He wanted to film a third Doctor/Sarah Jane story with John Pertwee and Elizabeth Sladen to prove that high-quality, professional Doctor Who content could be produced independently. He pitched the concept to the BBC, but John Nathan Turner shot it down, claiming the budget would "tarnish the legacy of Doctor Who" and look "cheap and tatty." So Barnfather pivoted. He approached the creators of UNIT and the Brigadier for permission to use Benton and the military organization instead. With BBC blessing, Wartime became the first professionally produced, BBC-authorized independent Doctor Who spinoff—a distinction that makes it canon in a way fan productions cannot be. The Budget, The Cast, The Ambitious Story Shot for just £5,000 (roughly £14,000 in today's money) in Shropshire, Wartime is a 30-minute psychological thriller about Benton confronting ghosts from his past. The crew—including Michael Wisher (the original Davros), John Levine, and Nicholas Briggs—largely worked for expenses only. The production is wholly filmed on location with no studio interiors and proudly proclaims this fact in its credits. The music comes from Mark Ayers, who would soon become the incidental music composer for the McCoy era. But there's a mystery: the original 1988 release may not have included the opening voiceover from Nicholas Courtney. A later 1990s re-release added enhanced video and possibly added Courtney's introduction—or so goes one account. An Actor Stretched Beyond His Range John Levine hadn't played Benton since 1976's "The Android Invasion." Wartime reunites him with the character, but asks him to do something Benton was never asked to do in the televised series: carry a dramatic, psychologically complex story. Over his two decades away, Levine had worked primarily in stage productions. The acting here is uneven—there are moments where genuine effort is visible, but the dialogue often feels hamfisted, and some of Levine's delivery struggles under the weight of the emotional material. The hosts debate whether this was a mistake or whether it explains the story's structure: perhaps Levine himself worked with the writers to create something that would finally let him show dramatic range. Two Stories That Never Quite Merge The narrative splits between two distinct threads: nuclear material is being transported, and the vehicle breaks down in the exact area where Benton grew up. While waiting for repairs, he confronts manifestations of his past—his father, his brother, guilt from a childhood tragedy. But these two storylines remain largely separate. The hosts wonder: was this the intended story, or are we seeing a compromise between what should have been a straightforward political thriller and what became a psychological character piece? The ambient storytelling choices reinforce the surreal nature of the past sequences—including an eerie slow-motion effect applied to the driver's scenes, complete with an unsettling sound design that hints at alien interference without ever confirming it. The Foreboding English Countryside Both hosts find themselves returning to a running theme in British television and film: why is the English countryside always so ominous? There's something about location filming in rural England that transforms familiar landscapes into places of dread. Wartime's Shropshire location captures this perfectly, with genuinely beautiful cinematography serving scenes of mounting psychological unease. A Question of Canonicity and Intention The novelization by Stephen James Walker sets the story in 1990, which raises questions about whether Benton left his post-Doctor Who car lot business to return to UNIT, or whether the Brigadier emerged from retirement. The "unit dating controversy" gains an unwanted new entry with this one authorized production. Additionally, there's no indication the filmmakers intended this as a pilot for a series. It stands alone—a one-off experiment to prove that independent BBC-sanctioned Doctor Who content was possible. What This Inspired Wartime's success (however modest) helped establish the foundation for what would come later: Real Time (the production company) would go on to create "The Stranger" videos, while others in the film community would be emboldened to approach the BBC. The true legacy may be the confidence it gave to fan producers and independent creators, eventually contributing to the ecosystem that would allow Big Finish to eventually dominate Doctor Who audio production. The Mystery of Benton's Emotional Maturity One persistent question: are the apparitions real, supernatural manifestations, or purely psychological? Is this a story set in the Doctor Who universe where strange things genuinely happen, or is this pure character introspection? The ambiguity remains unresolved—which fits the story's intent, but also leaves the viewer uncertain about what universe they're actually in. In a show where the protagonist has fought Daleks and Cybermen, how much can we trust that anything he experiences is purely in his mind? Production Details: Release Date: January 20, 1988 (on VHS) Timing: Between Seasons 24 and 25 of Doctor Who Budget: £5,000 (~£14,000 today) Runtime: Approximately 30 minutes Producers/Writers: Keith Barnfather (producer/director), Andy Lane and Helen Sterling (writers) Notable Cast: John Levine (Benton), Michael Wisher (Benton's father), Nicholas Courtney (voiceover—possibly added later), Nicholas Briggs (soldier) Music: Mark Ayers (pre-McCoy era composition) Shooting Location: Shropshire, England (entirely on location) Status: First BBC-authorized independent professional Doctor Who spinoff Novelization: By Stephen James Walker, set in 1990 Key Discussion Points: Why John Nathan Turner rejected the original Petwee/Sladen concept The logistics of producing professional-grade content on a £5,000 budget Whether Levine was the right actor for this particular story The disconnect between the two narrative threads (thriller vs. psychological drama) Whether the supernatural elements are real or imagined The mystery of Nicholas Courtney's involvement and when it occurred How Wartime influenced future Doctor Who spinoff productions The visual language of the English countryside as a character itself Whether Benton's characterization here aligns with his televised persona What the novelization reveals that the video doesn't explain Coming Up Next: Monday (Patreon Feed): Patreon Exclusive number referenced in episode (music, Memory TARDIS, three comic stories from three different authors—including one from Grant Morrison). Friday (Patreon Early) / Wednesday (Main Feed): "Remembrance of the Daleks" (four-parter)—the 25th Anniversary story. Guest Alan J. Porter joins the discussion. Hashtags: #DoctorWho #Wartime #Benton #UNIT #ClassicWho #IndependentProduction #ProfessionalSpinoff #1988 #JohnLevine #DoctorWhoPodcast #WildernessYears
S189 · E26
August 9 · 1 hr 35 min
Who Was That Terrible Woman? - "Dimensions in Time"
Guest: JB Anderton of the Doctor Who Gives a F#! podcast joins John and Jim, as he does for every multi-Doctor story, to make sense of the un-make-sense-able. Note: This is a hiatus episode from our Wilderness Years coverage, released early on the Patreon feed and arriving on the main feed August 9th to celebrate Doctor Who Podcast Day. A warm welcome to everyone joining us for the occasion! Love the podcast? Consider joining us on Patreon for early access, exclusive episodes, and the option to commission your own Doctor Who story. Show Notes: For the show's 30th anniversary in 1993, the BBC gave Doctor Who fans a two-part, 3D, charity crossover with EastEnders in which the Rani traps the Doctor's incarnations in a time loop and scrambles Doctors and companions together at random. It is, by common agreement among the hosts, the Doctor Who equivalent of the Star Wars Holiday Special—not to be taken remotely seriously, but a genuine curiosity worth seeing at least once, if only because it's one more chance to watch these beloved actors play these beloved characters. How We Even Got Here: The Ghost of The Dark Dimension Before there was Dimensions in Time, there was The Dark Dimension—an ambitious, Tom Baker-centered 30th-anniversary feature that collapsed months before it would have aired. The hosts (with JB drawing on John Pertwee's own memoir) untangle the competing accounts of what happened: budget mismanagement, pressure from the American rights holders, and a script that the other surviving Doctors felt reduced them to walk-on cameos. What emerged instead was a bargain-basement Children in Need special built on a standing EastEnders set, produced by John Nathan-Turner as if it were a real episode (production code and all), and shot around the soap's schedule for no fee. A Cast List That Astonishes—and the Gaps That Intrigue The hosts marvel at the sheer roll call of returning Doctors and companions, puzzle over who's conspicuously absent, and confront the parade of EastEnders faces that leaves them defaulting to "if I don't recognize them, they must be from the soap." There's the interactive phone-in twist that raised a small fortune for charity, the Noel Edmonds framing device, the rave-version theme, and Kate O'Mara gamely chewing the scenery as the third choice for the villain. Everybody's In Character (With Two Very Notable Exceptions) A running thread: nearly everyone slips back into their roles with real commitment—even in three seconds of screen time—which makes the two who don't stand out all the more. The hosts have plenty to say about a phoned-in performance from a certain fan-favorite Doctor reading off cue cards in a sound booth, and a beloved companion stranded in a costume and a barrage of technobabble that left one host cold (with a fair hearing of the very human, very practical reasons behind the wardrobe choice). Along the way: Susan's grandfather problem, the disembodied busts of two late Doctors, a monorail glimpsed in the background, and the eternal question of why the Seventh Doctor hauls all his equipment outside the TARDIS. A Menagerie Missing Its Most Famous Monster Why are there no Daleks among the Rani's captured specimens? The hosts dig into the rights tangle behind their absence—and what it might mean for the show's future as Doctor Who itself heads to tender in 2026. The Canonical Silver Linings Amid the chaos, the hosts find the moments worth preserving: the only on-screen meeting of the Sixth Doctor and the Brigadier, and Nicholas Courtney's Brigadier arriving by helicopter—giving the actor, if you squint, a claim to having worked with all seven classic Doctors. Production Details: Broadcast: November 26–27, 1993 (across Children in Need and the Noel Edmonds show) Production Code: 7R Format: Two parts, presented in 3D, with an interactive phone-in ending Villain: The Rani (Kate O'Mara, the third choice after two others) Setting/Crossover: EastEnders' Albert Square Predecessor Project: The Dark Dimension (cancelled 30th-anniversary feature) Charity: Raised over £100,000 for Children in Need on the phone-in alone 13.8M (part one), 13.6M (part two) — inflated by the EastEnders crossover Coming Up Next: Monday (Patreon Exclusive 183): A disco version of the theme, the Memory TARDIS, a look back at the first six Doctors, and the comics "The Grief" and "Ravens." Friday (Patreon): Whatever Happened to Susan Foreman?—A BBC Radio produced mockumentary, starring Jane Asher. Saturday (Main Feed): Wartime—the fan-produced, BBC-sanctioned Benton video, from the Patreon vault. End Music: This episode closes with a reworking of the Dimensions in Time theme by Darth Jedi: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bv2t41k2244 Hashtags: #DoctorWho #DimensionsInTime #ChildrenInNeed #ClassicWho #TheRani #EastEnders #WildernessYears #DoctorWhoPodcastDay #MultiDoctor #DoctorWhoPodcast
S17 · E127
August 5 · 2 hr
Shadaly Written - "Shada"
Note: This is a hiatus episode, originally a Patreon Exclusive, airing on the main feed during the break between Classic and New Who. Love the podcast? Consider joining us on Patreon for early access to episodes, exclusive content, and the option to commission your own Doctor Who story. A Strike Over a Clock Changes Doctor Who History The story of Shada begins not on screen, but in the chaos of 1970s British industrial action. A seemingly minor dispute over which union controlled the operation of an elaborate clock on the BBC Children's Program, Play School, escalated to the point where production of Doctor Who came to a standstill. Two-thirds of filming had been completed. Sets were built. Effects work had been shot. Actors had been cast. And then everything stopped. The cast wasn't aware of what was happening behind the scenes—some didn't even know production had ceased until much later. Meanwhile, writer Douglas Adams had already decided to step away from the show. He wouldn't be returning. The Lost Story That Became Many Stories Because Shada was never completed in 1980, it exists in five different forms today. A 1983 fan edit using rough footage and text inserts. A 1992 VHS release with Tom Baker providing narration for the unfinished scenes. A Big Finish Flash animation from 2013 that reimagined the story. An unofficial animation created before the official version. And finally, a 2021 Blu-ray restoration with enhanced animation presented in proper episode format. But none of these versions represent what Douglas Adams might have intended, because the original script—if it still exists—has never been published. The editing, the changes, the additions made over decades remain mysterious. What Was Filmed, What Wasn't, and Why Some Special Effects Exist for No Good Reason One of the most fascinating aspects of watching Shada is understanding what the production achieved before the strike. All the Cambridge location footage—the punting scenes, the exterior shots of the university, Tom Baker riding a bicycle—was shot first. The interior sets at the professor's rooms were next. But the spaceship interiors? Those were never filmed, because the production never got far enough. Yet special effects models of both spaceships were built and filmed specifically for a story that would never be completed. The Krog robots, partial shots of spacecraft, miniature effects work all survived despite the rest of production falling apart. It's a window into how Doctor Who production actually worked: film everything outdoor or on location first, then work studio interiors later. A Woman Transformed, A Doctor Leaving, and a Show About to Change Everything Tom Baker—at this point no longer interested in playing the Doctor again—was paired with Lala Ward (as Romana II). Their relationship during this period was becoming increasingly strained (they would eventually marry and divorce, an 18-month union that left permanent scars). Meanwhile, Graham Williams—the outgoing producer—was frustrated that the BBC wouldn't fund the show properly. He could only get two-thirds of the budget needed. He suggested his replacement: John Nathan Turner, a producer with big ideas and bigger ambitions. Turner would bring in Christopher Bidmead as script editor—someone determined to ground the show in actual science and move away from what he considered silliness. Bidmead would also cherry-pick which parts of established continuity "counted," declaring entire seasons from the past to be non-canonical. This era would define everything that came next. Cambridge, Tea, and a Story About Wanting to Create a Universal Mind The story itself involves a professor of Gallifrey, secret books, a man named Skagra with mysterious plans, and a prison planet that the Time Lords conveniently forgot about. But at its heart, it's a tale about someone trying to merge multiple consciousnesses into a single universal mind—a concept that resonates strangely in an era of AI debates decades later. The Doctor opposes this not through violence, but through philosophy, engaging in a debate about why controlling the universe isn't actually desirable. It's quintessentially Douglas Adams: ambitious ideas wrapped in humor and logic puzzles. Guest Stars Both Familiar and Forgotten Gerald Campion, who played the original Billy Bunter decades earlier, appears in a small role. Tom Baker was thrilled to work with him. Christopher Neame plays the villain Skagra in a distinctly disco-era outfit that suggests the production was made in a very specific time period. Most of the cast has been forgotten by history—which is what makes it tragic. These actors prepared for a major Doctor Who story that would have been seen by millions. Instead, they prepared for something that was erased. Romana in Costume, or Rather, in Multiple Costumes One thread that becomes increasingly frustrating as the story progresses: Romana keeps changing outfits, and none of them seem quite right. There's a hat situation that neither host is happy about. But the core problem goes deeper—Romana, one of the Doctor's most capable companions, spends large stretches of this story being dragged around, held hostage, or forced to watch as events happen around her. It's a companion written with less agency than the show had managed before. A Mystery at the End: What Was Douglas Adams Actually Trying to Say? The final revelation that Professor Cronotus is actually Salyavin—a famous criminal from Shada prison—raises questions that the story never adequately addresses. He's dead, sort of. He's a paradox, sort of. He creates a companion (Claire) who suddenly understands alien technology without explanation. And then the Doctor simply... leaves. Leaves a TARDIS on Earth with an unstable former criminal who's slowly fading from existence. No one discusses what will happen. No one seems concerned. By the final episodes, the story becomes increasingly muddled, introducing concepts that don't quite land and resolutions that feel incomplete. Which Version Did They Watch? And Does It Matter? The hosts watched the 2021 Blu-ray restoration, broken into six episodes with enhanced animation. But the question lingers: is this Douglas Adams's original story, or has it been altered beyond recognition by decades of reconstruction? The animation is competent but uneven. Tom Baker's and Lala Ward's aged voices are notably different from their younger selves. David Briarley, the original voice of K9's computer, recorded new material shortly before his death. A final scene was added showing Tom Baker as an older man—was this always planned, or a later addition? A Story in Cotton Candy Form One host describes Shada as "cotton candy science fiction"—tasty in the moment, completely gone the moment you consume it. The question becomes: how much of the fascination with Shada is about the story itself, and how much is about its impossible history? Had it been completed on schedule and aired as just another season finale, would anyone still talk about it? Or is the legend of Shada more interesting than Shada actually is? Production Details: Production Code: 5M Intended Air Date: January 19 – February 23, 1980 (never aired) Writer: Douglas Adams (final script for the show; also served as script editor) Director: Pennant Roberts Cause of Non-Completion: Industrial action/strike regarding union jurisdiction over BBC equipment (ultimately over a clock on a children's program) Percentage Shot: Approximately two-thirds Versions That Exist: Five distinct versions across different formats and decades Key Guest Cast: Gerald Campion (Billy Bunter himself), Christopher Neame (Skagra), Daniel Hill (Chris), Victoria Burgoyne (Claire) Key Discussion Points: The production history and why the strike occurred Why special effects were filmed for scenes that were never shot The decision to leave Tom Baker out of future multi-Doctor stories (and his later appearance here) What happened to Romana's agency as the story progresses The muddled explanation of Cronotus/Sally Avon and the paradox he represents Whether Shada would be remembered if it had simply aired as scheduled How different Doctor Who productions worked (exteriors first, interiors later) The implications of leaving an unstable TARDIS on Earth with no follow-up Douglas Adams's memos and his frustrations with the show's direction The romantic relationship between Tom Baker and Lala Ward during this period, and how it affected their performances Coming Up Next: Saturday (Main Feed) / Friday (Patreon Early): Season 18 premiere, "The Leisure Hive" (four-parter). The first story under the new regime begins. Monday (Patreon Exclusive 120): Season 17 retrospective and mainstream comics coverage for the hiatus period ("Dogs of War," "Time Witch," "The Star Beast"). Hashtags: #DoctorWho #Shada #TomBaker #LalaWard #DouglasAdams #ClassicWho #LostStory #ProductionHistory #UnfinishedBusiness #DoctorWhoPodcast #WildernessYears
#145
July 29 · 53 min
Season 20: When the Companions Argue More Than They Help - Patreon Exclusive 145
Note: This is a hiatus episode, originally a Patreon Exclusive, airing on the main feed during the break between Classic and New Who. Join our Patreon to get early access to review episodes and weekly exclusive content like this. A Theme with Energy But No Clarity on Genre The episode opens with "Dancer Who," a drum and bass remix of the Doctor Who theme from an account called "Synth Theme Remixes." Despite nearly 13 years of existence and modest viewership, the track has undeniable energy and a strong beat. Whether it's actually pure drum and bass is debatable—there are keyboards and synthesizers involved—but it's undeniably danceable. The hosts hope their coverage might help this overlooked remix find a wider audience. https://youtu.be/Puve_A9EFwQ?si=Mw5zOUxgQS27JnFn A Season Where Companions Spend More Time Fighting Than Helping Season 20 presents an interesting problem: the TARDIS is crowded. Tegan is improving as an actress, but only incrementally. Turlough raises the fundamental question: why is this character here at all? Even more surprising—by the time we're done, Adric starts looking better in retrospect. When you find yourself comparing a companion favorably to someone much-maligned by fandom, you know the roster has an issue. A Creature Department with Nothing to Do The hosts confront an uncomfortable truth about Season 20: it's remarkably free of monsters and creatures. The Mara is a villain, not a creature. The Garm exists but barely registers. The Eternals are villains. Kings Demons has... nothing. This absence reflects a deliberate editorial choice to ground the show under Peter Davison's influence—away from the wacky alien designs, toward something more naturalistic. The creature department was apparently just sitting around with nothing to build. When Best Villain and Best Guest Star Diverge in Unexpected Ways One host makes a surprising villain choice. Another champions a campy, over-the-top performance that might seem like it belongs in a different era of Doctor Who entirely. The Brigadier's return gets unanimous agreement as best guest star, but his performance in a particular story involves playing not one, but two versions of himself—a challenge that pays dividends. Meanwhile, the Black Guardian lingers as a presence but never quite rises to the occasion, despite excellent work from the actor. Two Different Takes on the Same Brigadier Moment Both hosts select best moments from the same story, but they pick different scenes. One focuses on the emotional weight of two versions of the same character finally meeting and reaching out. The other selects a memory-based sequence—a storytelling device that works beautifully here but one the hosts caution against overusing. It will show up again and again in New Who, and there's apparently a real tearjerker in the Sarah Jane Adventures that hits hard. But how many times can you deploy the same emotional tool before it loses power? The Easiest and Hardest Superlatives Best and worst episodes sort themselves out quickly—there's immediate consensus on what works best and what's interminable. But best monster becomes genuinely difficult when you realize the season doesn't have traditional creatures to choose from. Best companion is solved "by default." And best moment splinters into two thoughtful but different answers. Comics: A Fishing Trip That Becomes a Moral Quandary "Lunar Lagoon" (DWM 76–77, April–May 1983) finds the Doctor landing on a Pacific island during World War II, not realizing what era he's actually in. A lone Japanese soldier still believes the war is ongoing. When an American pilot is shot down, the Doctor removes the bullets from the soldier's gun—but this act of mercy sets off a chain of events that results in the soldier's death and leaves the Doctor consumed with guilt. The hosts note that while this is a hoary old cliche (the Japanese soldier who doesn't know the war is over), the Doctor's presence should have reframed it. Instead, critical details remain unclear—what year did the Doctor think he was in? Why was there suddenly an American WWII plane? The story needs another line or two of dialogue to ground what's happening. Additionally, the complete absence of a companion (despite Nyssa, Tegan, and Turlough all being available) makes the story feel oddly hollow. The Doctor carries everything through thought balloons and internal monologue, which limits the interplay a good Doctor Who story thrives on. Memory TARDIS: A Landing That Nobody Expected "The Mind Robber" (Troughton, five-part story) sends the hosts into a discussion about a tale so weird, so far from grounded Doctor Who, that it might be impossible to imagine in Davison's era. The Land of Fiction, a rogue character masquerading as "the Master," Jamie's face literally rearranged due to actor illness, and a famous shot nobody will forget—this is 1968 Doctor Who at its most experimental. Production Details: Season 20 aired March–June 1983 (seven stories) The Five Doctors included with this season set (though technically separate) Best Companion: Nyssa (with significant caveats) Creature Department Status: Vastly underutilized Key Spoiler Cards for Season 21: The hosts avoid "New Doctor" (too spoilery), pick "Elementary, My Dear Jim" instead of "Body Count" Upcoming Writer Return: Robert Holmes returns for Season 21 with what many consider both Peter Davison's best story and Holmes's finest work Hashtags: #DoctorWho #Season20 #TheFiveDoctors #PeterDavison #Superlatives #Brigadier #DoctorWhoPodcast #ClassicWho #WildernessYears #MindRobber
S26 · E186
July 22 · 2 hr 15 min
Ace Walked So Rose Could Run: The End of Classic Who - "Survival"
Guest: British author Paul Ebbs—Big Finish writer and lifelong Who fan who watched every episode on broadcast from 1970 to 1989—joins John and Jim to close out Classic Doctor Who. Three and a Half Years, One Weekly Show, and Finally the End of the Road This is it. The final story of Classic Doctor Who. After three and a half years of weekly episodes covering every televised adventure in order, John and Jim reach the end of the line with Survival—Sylvester McCoy's swan song, Ace's coming-of-age, and the Master's last classic-era stand. To mark the occasion, they welcome a guest who was there when it first aired: author Paul Ebbs, who calls this his joint-favorite story of all time and makes a passionate case for why it matters far more than its reputation might suggest. A Working Title You Won't Believe Before it became Survival, this story went by two working titles: "Blood Hunt" and—brace yourself—"Cat Flap." Yes, the final story of Classic Doctor Who was nearly called Cat Flap. The hosts have thoughts about this, and about what might have been if that title had stuck. The Show Looking Into a Mirror and Seeing Its Future Self Paul makes a bold argument that runs through the whole conversation: there is no post-2005 Doctor Who without this era. Everything RTD would later do is seeded right here. He points out that Rose is set "one estate across and three streets up" from Survival. Jim extends John's running metaphor—Cartmel walked so RTD could run—into something more specific: Ace walked so Rose, Amy, and every companion after could run. This is the story where the companion's inner life, backstory, and growth finally take center stage, setting the template for everything that followed. A Master Story, a Height Difference, and a Performance That Elevates This marks Anthony Ainley's final televised turn as the Master, and it's a memorable one. The hosts discuss how McCoy holds his own against Ainley despite a notable height difference, the chilling mirror scene, and whether this ranks among Ainley's best work. There's disagreement about where he sits relative to Delgado—and a surprising admission from one host about finally coming around on Ainley this time. The Hottest Shoot on the Coldest-Looking Planet Behind the scenes, this was a punishing production. Filmed in 100-degree heat in Dorset, the elaborate Cheetah People costumes (a departure from writer Rona Munro's more subtle original vision) made life miserable for the cast. An extra walked off. Sophie Aldred suffered dehydration despite not even wearing the costume. Ainley himself took the production team to task over how uncomfortable Lisa Bowerman was. And yet, all shot on location, the story achieves a cinematic quality the hosts and guest clearly relish. A Writer Who Paints a Whole Life in Two Lines Paul—himself a working Who writer—delivers what amounts to a masterclass appreciation of Rona Munro's screenwriting. He singles out a first episode with relentless narrative drive, exposition smuggled invisibly into dialogue, and minor characters who feel fully three-dimensional from just a line or two. There's a subtle detail involving what a street character is collecting money for that ties directly into the story's central theme—and it's the kind of thing you only notice when someone points it out. The Sabotaged Hum and the Only Pacifist in the Room At its heart, this is a story about not winning through violence. The Doctor is the lone voice of pacifism amid chaos, and Paul makes a spirited defense of a much-debated sequence in part two—arguing it's not a misfire but the thematic backbone of the entire story. Whether you agree depends on how you read the Doctor's role, and the hosts don't entirely line up on this one. Planet of the Apes on Horseback The first sight of a Cheetah Person mounted on horseback draws a direct comparison to the iconic gorilla-on-horseback image from Planet of the Apes—an incongruous, unforgettable visual. The hosts and guest also defend the animatronic cat, the Cheetah People makeup, and Doctor Who's whole relationship with special effects. There's a broader argument here about what actually matters in the show, and it's not the monsters. An Accidental Perfect Ending Only John Nathan Turner knew this might be the last episode for a long time. The cast and crew were largely in the dark. Cartmel wrote the melancholy closing monologue—"there are worlds out there where the sky is burning"—which McCoy recorded, fittingly, on the show's actual 30th anniversary. The hosts and guest reflect on how a story nobody knew was a finale became the perfect accidental send-off for Classic Who. Fruit Machines, Finger Tricks, and Pocket Watches Along the way: a discussion of the Doctor's mysterious forehead-finger business, McCoy's prop-driven approach to the role (including a pocket watch used as a scanner), the great sonic screwdriver debate, and a Doctor channeling Pertwee on a motorbike. Plus a small mystery about Ace's mother that the story raises and then quietly drops. Production Details: Production Code: 7P Aired: November 22 – December 6, 1989 Writer: Rona Munro (would later write New Who's "The Eaters of Light" for Capaldi) Director: Alan Wareing (previously The Greatest Show in the Galaxy, Ghost Light) Working Titles: "Blood Hunt" and "Cat Flap" The Master: Anthony Ainley (added at JNT's insistence for a named villain; his final televised appearance in the role) Notable Cast: Lisa Bowerman as Karra (would go on to voice Bernice Summerfield and direct for Big Finish), Julian Holloway as Sergeant Patterson (Paul's favorite guest actor in Who history; passed away recently), comedians Gareth Hale & Norman Pace in the shop Filming Location: Perivale for the Earth scenes, Dorset for the planet of the Cheetah People Closing Monologue: Written by Andrew Cartmel; recorded by McCoy on November 23, 1989 Ratings: 5M / 4.8M / 5M Key Discussion Points: Why this story is the template for all of post-2005 Doctor Who Ace as the proto-New-Who companion and the culmination of Season 26's arc Anthony Ainley's final Master performance and how he compares to Delgado Rona Munro's writing craft and economy of characterization The pacifism theme: "If we fight like animals, we'll die like animals" The debate over part two and whether it drags or lands the story's themes The "Ace walked so Rose could run" thesis The Planet of the Apes visual influence Doctor Who's relationship with special effects and suspension of disbelief Whether holding the Master story for last was the right call The all-location cinematic shooting style The accidental perfect ending and Cartmel's closing monologue The Wilderness Years to come, and the role of the Virgin New Adventures novels Coming Up Next: Friday (Patreon Feed): A look back at McCoy, the 80s, and the Classic Era overall. Monday (Patreon Exclusive 180): Season 26 overview—the good, the bad, and whatever ugly there was. Plus the comics "Party Animals" and "The Chameleon Factor." Patreon subscribers also get the 80s retrospective. Wednesday (Main Feed): Season 20 retrospective (a previously Patreon-exclusive episode). And Then: Hiatus episodes that will look at aspects of the "Wilderness Years", The 1996 TV Movie, and eventually the leap into New Who and the Christopher Eccleston era. Hashtags: #DoctorWho #Survival #SylvesterMcCoy #SophieAldred #Ace #TheMaster #AnthonyAinley #RonaMunro #ClassicWho #EndOfAnEra #PaulEbbs #DoctorWhoPodcast
S26 · E185
July 15 · 2 hr 8 min
Written in My Dream Diary - "The Curse of Fenric"
Guest: Shagg Matthews from the Fire & Water Podcast Network joins John and Jim to discuss the penultimate story of Classic Doctor Who. The Darkest Hour(s) Before the Dawn The hosts are unified in their assessment: this is the darkest, most adult, most dramatically mature story of the entire series. It's not dark in tone alone—it's dark in theme, dark in implications, dark in what it reveals about the Doctor's character. One joke exists in the entire episode; everything else operates in shades of genuine dread. The production team clearly knew they were operating on borrowed time and decided to swing for the fences: a World War II setting, a genuine first-evil antagonist, psychological manipulation, body horror, and questions about faith itself. A Writer and a Producer in a Battle Over Hemovores Ian Briggs returned to Doctor Who after nearly a full season away—Andrew Cartmel had to convince JNT to give him another chance. Once given that chance, JNT immediately began second-guessing and meddling. The hemovores were originally supposed to look different, more monstrous. JNT thought they looked "rather rude"—apparently resembling a sexual organ—and demanded they be toned down. The final design: vampiric-looking humanoids that started as two schoolgirls. It's a compromise that somehow works brilliantly despite the behind-the-scenes friction. A Location Shoot That Feels Real Rather than attempt the Blitz with pyrotechnics and sets, Nicholas Mallet (returning from Paradise Towers) persuaded JNT to film entirely on location. They shot in Dorset and Northumberland, capturing genuine seaside cliffs and windswept locations. The weather cooperated and didn't cooperate simultaneously—freak conditions meant one day brought snow, the next sunshine, then rain. Rather than reshoot, they worked it into the story. McCoy kept his own heavy coat between takes; the production said it looked good, so he wore it throughout. Sophie Aldred handpicked her costume and refused to cover it with an overcoat, keeping her arms visible at all times. A Story That Was Never Meant to Be an Ending (But Knows It Is) Only John Nathan Turner knew the show was ending. Everyone else—including Sylvester McCoy, who'd signed a contract for Season 27—was operating under the assumption the show would continue. McCoy was all set to return; Sophie Aldred hadn't even been offered one yet. The BBC officially called it a "hiatus" while quietly beginning a competitive tender process to find a new production company. But among all the cast and crew, only JNT was preparing this as a potential final chapter. The others were simply making the next story. The Story: A mysterious entity called Fenric—described as one of the first evils of the universe—has been imprisoned for 17 centuries. In 1943, a small English coastal town becomes the battleground. Russian soldiers are hunting for a scientist named Judson, who's secretly developing a computer to decode German ciphers. The Doctor arrives to find ancient Viking ruins, encoded runes that must never be translated, and mysterious creatures rising from the water. When the runes are translated, Fenric's influence begins to spread. The true revelation: Fenric has been manipulating events for centuries, including the entire relationship between the Doctor and Ace. Production Details: Production Code: 7M Aired: October 15 – November 14, 1989 Writer: Ian Briggs | Director: Nicholas Mallet Guest Stars: Nicholas Parsons (Reverend Wainwright), Dinsdale Landen (Commander Millington) Filming Location: Lulworth Cove in Dorset; North Umberland or possibly Whitby (accounts vary) Notable Details: First Doctor Who story set in WWII (War Games covered WWI) All-location filming —rain, snow, and sunlight all captured genuinely Sophie Aldred dove into water three times to get the shot; divers had to follow her on the final take McCoy wore his personal coat between takes; production kept it in final cut Ratings: 4.3M, 4M, 4M, 4.2M (held above 4 million throughout) Music: Mark Ayers Novelization: Ian Briggs (same author), includes epilogue set in 1887 Paris Key Discussion Points: Why this story works as mature television drama The manipulation thread: Fenric manipulating the Doctor and Ace; the Doctor manipulating Ace for a greater good The distraction scene and whether it lands (or whether it makes viewers uncomfortable) Ace's fear of water: genuinely from the story, or character development invented for the finale? The Doctor's faith expressed through his companions' names (from novelization) Why the Ancient One/Great Serpent feels unnecessary when Madison and Fenric were compelling enough The Doctor being "on patrol"—Batman and Robin dynamics with Ace Ace's first genuine character arc across multiple seasons The seduction vs. the seduction scene: why one works and the other doesn't How this story informs RTD's approach to companion arcs in New Who Season 27 plans: Ace was meant to train for the Time Lord Academy The rain and weather: natural hazard or perfect cinematography? Coming Up Next: Monday (Patreon Exclusive 179): Music, Memory TARDIS, and "The Mark of Mandragora" comics. Friday (Patreon Early) / Wednesday (Main Feed): "Survival" (three-parter)—the actual final story of Classic Doctor Who. John handles narration; guest writer Paul Ebbs from England joins the discussion. Special Notes: This is the second-to-last classic Who story John mentions this is only the second time he's "mainlined" multiple episodes in a row (the first time being War Games) The hosts plan to do a retrospective episode after Survival covering favorite doctors, companions, and villains across all 26 years Shag gives credit to the novelization for revealing that the Doctor whispers the names of the First Doctor's companions (Ian, Barbara, Susan, Vicki, Stephen) as his source of faith against the hemovores Hashtags: #DoctorWho #Season26 #TheCurseOfFenric #ClassicWho #SylvesterMcCoy #SophieAldred #Fenric #DoctorManipulates #DarkestStory #DoctorWhoPodcast #PenultimateStory
S26 · E184
July 8 · 1 hr 53 min
Ambitious, Atmospheric, and Baffling - "Ghost Light"
Guest: Felicity Kusinitz from the Flopcast joins John and Jim to discuss Season 26's most confusing story. A Script Too Big for Its Own Shoes Mark Platt submitted "Lungbarrow" to the show—a bold move for a writer with no professional credits beyond Doctor Who fan fiction. JNT immediately shut down his original concept (a full revelation of the Doctor's origins involving Gallifrey, Rassilon, and Omega) and asked him to rework it. Platt transplanted the thematic weight of that rejected story into a Victorian Gothic setting, creating Ghost Light. The result is a production that was heavily edited, with numerous explanatory scenes cut to fit three episodes. Even now, decades later, the story remains notoriously difficult to follow on first viewing—and according to many, even on subsequent viewings. Why This Story Rewards (and Frustrates) Repeat Viewing Felicity came in as a genuine enthusiast for this story, despite her general ambivalence toward the McCoy era. She's watched it multiple times and finds it improves with knowledge of what's coming. The New Adventures novels (particularly "Lungbarrow," which completed Andrew Cartmel's original Master Plan concept) have deepened her appreciation retroactively. Yet even she admits the first viewing is a puzzle box without instructions. Jim, meanwhile, found it nearly incomprehensible—he spent much of the episode laughing at the absurdity while also trying desperately to understand what was actually happening. Too Many Characters Syndrome Strikes Again The story suffers from the same overcrowding that plagued Battlefield. There's Josiah Samuel Smith, Control, Nimrod, the Reverend Matthews, the Constable, Mrs. Pritchard, Gwendolyn, the maids, Inspector McKenzie, and eventually Light itself. Each arrival adds another layer of confusion. Jerry Lange's earlier concerns about "too many characters" find their most vindicated expression here. Some characters could have been eliminated entirely, and others—particularly the Reverend and the Constable—feel like they exist only because they were written before the cuts. A Doctor Who's Getting Darker (And Meaner) A troubling thread emerges in this viewing: the Doctor is increasingly manipulative and even cruel with Ace. He brings her to a house without explanation, observes her distress as a kind of experiment, and generally treats her as a subject to be studied rather than a companion to be protected. This emotional manipulation—combined with McCoy's alien coldness rather than zany warmth—marks a shift in the character that will come to a head in the final story. Atmospheric But Muddy: The Audio Problem The story is visually and aurally striking—genuinely evoking Hammer Horror and the Hinchcliffe era with its Victorian setting and Gothic atmosphere. Yet the production suffers from audio mixing issues. The soundtrack is prominent enough to drown out dialogue, particularly Ace's lines, which are sometimes difficult to parse. This compounds the story's already confusing nature; listeners are struggling both to understand the plot and to hear what characters are saying. The Incomprehensible Becomes Character-Driven Once Light arrives—a being of pure energy obsessed with cataloguing life but appalled by its constant evolution—the story gains a genuinely interesting thematic core. Light's childlike wonder and petulant rage when confronted with change creates an intriguing antagonist, even if the costume (flowing cape, pale makeup, styled hair) reads more as "space fairy" than "cosmic entity." The Doctor defeats Light not through action but through argument—a Kirk-like tactic that works here because the concept itself is compelling enough to carry it. What Works, What Doesn't The setting works beautifully. The cast interactions (particularly Ace and Gwendolyn's constant wrestling matches) add levity. Sophie Aldred's increasing maturity as an actress and her character's evolution is noticeable. The costume design is excellent—though Ace keeping her boots on under the Victorian dress is a nice character touch. What doesn't work is the clarity; the rushed ending; the revelation that Control, Fenn Cooper, and Nimrod escape in the spaceship (leaving Ace's future burning of the house still unexplained); and the general sense that crucial scenes were left on the editing room floor. The Crown Jewel of Cartmel's Tenure? Cartmel considers Ghost Light the crown jewel of his script-editing era—a statement that says more about what went wrong in his tenure than it does about the quality of this particular story. It's bold, daring, and ambitious. It also fails to deliver on its promises due to time constraints and editorial decisions made by people who didn't care anymore. This is the final production of classic Doctor Who, even though it airs second in the season. The actual last scene filmed was the closing exchange between Ace and the Doctor—a conversation that feels almost tacked on but carries genuine weight: Ace wishes she'd blown up Gabriel Chase instead of burning it down, and the Doctor simply replies, "Wicked." Production Details: Production Code: 7Q Aired: October 4–18, 1989 (but produced AFTER both "Curse of Fenric" and "Survival") Writer: Mark Platt (first professional sale; no prior writing credits outside fan fiction) Director: Alan Waring Original Concept: "Lungbarrow" — a story meant to fully reveal the Doctor's origins on Gallifrey Ratings: Episode 1: 4.2 million | Episodes 2 & 3: 4.0 million (slight bump from previous week) Notable Cast: Michael Cochrane (Fenn Cooper, previously in "Black Orchid"), Carl Forgione (Nimrod, previously in "Planet of the Spiders") Key Detail: Last scene shot was Ace and the Doctor's closing exchange Key Discussion Points: The 75-minute script cut down to fit three short episodes and what was lost Too many characters introduced with insufficient explanation The Doctor's increasingly manipulative treatment of Ace and what it suggests about his character arc Whether the story rewards repeat viewing or if clarity is impossible The Victorian Gothic atmosphere as the story's greatest strength Light as a conceptual antagonist vs. Light as a costume problem Sophie Aldred's maturing performance throughout Season 26 Why Ace's 1983 burning of Gabriel Chase never connects fully to the events of this story Ace keeping her boots on under the Victorian dress as character work The jarring tonal shifts between scenes Patrick Mulkern's assessment that the incoherence lands at Cartmell's feet Coming Up Next: Monday (Patreon 178): Music (The Doubleclicks' version of the Doctor Who theme), comics "Darkness Falling" and "Distractions" (prequels to a larger storyline), Memory TARDIS, and a tribute to BBC Books editor Justin Richards, who passed away. Friday (Patreon Early) / Wednesday (Main Feed): "The Curse of Fenric" (four-parter). Jim handles narration; guest Shagg Matthews joins the discussion. Hashtags: #DoctorWho #Season26 #GhostLight #ClassicWho #SylvesterMcCoy #SophieAldred #AmbitionVsExecution #CartmelMasterPlan #MarkPlatt #VictorianGothic #DoctorWhoPodcast
S26 · E183
July 1 · 1 hr 47 min
The Brigadier's Back, Baby! - "Battlefield"
Guest: Artist Jerry Lange joins John and Jim to discuss Season 26's explosive premiere. Six Years Later: A Familiar Face in Uniform The Doctor intercepts a distress call from Earth and arrives to find military forces mobilizing around a lake in rural England. But the soldiers he encounters aren't the ragtag UNIT troops from decades past—they answer to a new Brigadier, Winifred Bambara, sharp and decisive in ways that immediately challenge the Doctor's expectations. Before he can fully process this changing of the guard, a figure from his past arrives by helicopter. Nicholas Courtney returns as Brigadier Alistair Lethbridge Stewart, and the moment he steps onto screen represents the kind of callback that reminds longtime viewers why they fell in love with this show in the first place. The Return of a Beloved Character Done Right This is Courtney's first appearance since 1983—a full six years away. Yet the script wastes no time exploring what retirement has meant for the man who spent so many years at the Doctor's side. Unlike a simple cameo or a "let me check in and leave" scenario, the Brigadier finds himself back in harness, commanding troops, coordinating military responses, and rolling with alien invasions as if no time has passed at all. The character hasn't softened with age; if anything, he's evolved into someone who finally understands what he's really dealing with and accepts it without question. This is prime Brigadier material. Medieval Knights, Ancient Swords, and a Very Complicated Woman The story introduces knights in armor who've landed on Earth, along with ancient artifacts and a mysterious woman who speaks through a crystal ball—someone claiming to be Morgaine, reaching across dimensions to reclaim what's hers. The central mystery involves Excalibur, a comatose figure who might be King Arthur, and the question of whether the Doctor himself might be Merlin. How does one character bridge ancient legend and the Doctor's own timeline? And what does it mean when the Doctor suggests he might already be Merlin, but just doesn't know it yet? A Crowded Stage: When Too Many Characters Complicate the Story With Bambera, Ancelyn, Shou Yung, the helicopter pilot, the archaeologist Warmsley, and others, the screen fills quickly. Some find this ensemble approach refreshing; others feel it dilutes the focus that Morgaine and the central conflict deserve. The new Brigadier especially becomes a point of discussion—is she a necessary counterpoint to Alistair's established authority, or does her anger and youth undercut the gravitas the role traditionally carries? And then there's the question of whether every character served the Arthurian elements or whether some existed primarily because the production wanted to demonstrate diversity of casting. Jean Marsh as Morgaine: A Villain for the Ages Yet if there's one element that commands universal appreciation, it's Jean Marsh's performance as Morgaine. She commands every scene she inhabits, wielding hand gestures, vocal inflection, and costume to create a presence that feels genuinely menacing. This is her return to Doctor Who after playing Sarah Kingdom decades earlier, and she uses the opportunity to sketch out one of classic Who's most memorable antagonists. Comparisons to Helen Mirren's Morgaine in Excalibur are inevitable—and some viewers find Marsh's interpretation equally compelling, if not superior. The Mystery of Merlin and the Doctor's Unexplained Powers Part of what makes this story intriguing is its central enigma: Is the Doctor Merlin? The story suggests he might be, but offers no clear answer. Instead, it proposes something stranger—that the Doctor might become Merlin at some point in his past, or that he already was without knowing it yet. This plays directly into the Cartmell Master Plan's fascination with the Doctor's origins and timeline. Yet the story also introduces psychic powers the Doctor exercises—mind tricks that feel Force-like in execution but are never explained or integrated into established Time Lord abilities. Where do these abilities come from, and why does the Doctor never use them again? Bessie Makes an Unexpected Entrance In one of the story's most delightful moments, the Doctor's old car Bessie emerges to save the day. It's a callback that lands harder than the story initially suggests it might, proof that even in a tale of knights and swords and alternate dimensions, there's room for the kind of continuity nods that make longtime fans smile. A Production That Nearly Caused a Tragedy Behind the scenes, Sophie Aldred found herself in genuine danger during the water tank sequence. The glass chamber—not built to withstand pressure—began to crack and bulge as water filled it. Loose electrical wiring posed an immediate electrocution risk. It took McCoy's quick thinking and frantic shouting to get her out before disaster struck. It's the kind of production hazard that modern safety standards would never permit, and it remains a sobering reminder of how close the show came to losing an actress. A Story Ben Aaronovitch Wasn't Happy With Remarkably, despite writing one of the strongest stories of Season 25 (Remembrance of the Daleks), writer Ben Aaronovitch objected to several elements of this one. The Brigadier's return, he felt, was a mistake—a sentiment that J&T, Cartmell, and Courtney himself overruled. He disliked the music, the nuclear weapons speech that Cartmell added for the Doctor, and believed the knights should have looked more futuristic rather than traditionally medieval. The Merlin Question and Time Travel Paradox The intriguing aspect of the Doctor-as-Merlin possibility is that it plays with time in ways the show doesn't always explore. If the Doctor becomes Merlin in his past, but that past hasn't happened yet, what does that mean for causality? The story leaves this deliberately unresolved, suggesting that some mysteries are more interesting unanswered—a bold choice for a four-part story with finite screen time. Production Details: Production Code: 7N Aired: September 6–27, 1989 Writer: Ben Aaronovitch | Director: Michael Kerrigan Originally pitched as: "Storm of Avalon" (Season 25, rejected due to Silver Nemesis covering similar ground) Key Return: Nicholas Courtney as Brigadier Alistair Lethbridge Stewart (first appearance since 1983) Guest Cast: Jean Marsh (Morgaine), Angela Bruce (Brigadier Bambera), Marcus Gilbert (Ancelyn) Notable: Last TARDIS interior appearance in classic Who; Courtney voted best actor of this season by Doctor Who Magazine Ratings: 3.1, 3.9, 3.6, 4.0 (opening episode 3.1 is lowest in classic history) Key Discussion Points: The Brigadier's evolution from skeptic to fully-operational military commander Jean Marsh's transformation from Sarah Kingdom to Morgaine The Cartmell Master Plan's continued exploration of the Doctor's past Morgaine's arrival from an alternate dimension and her connection to Arthur The Doctor's unexplained psychic abilities and their absence from later stories Whether the cast is too large and whether certain characters serve the narrative Ancelyn's connection to Lancelot (possible anagram?) The Bessie callback and its emotional resonance Bambera as counterpoint to Alistair: innovation vs. tradition The balance between Arthurian legend and Doctor Who mythology Coming Up Next: Monday (Patreon 177): Music, Memory TARDIS, comics "Time Flight," "Doctor Conqueror," and "Fellow Travelers" (Sarah Jane returns to comics; Ace introduced) Friday (Patreon Early) / Wednesday (Main Feed): "Ghostlight" (three-parter with guest Felicity Kusinitz from Flop Cast)—a story many fans have strong opinions about Hashtags: #DoctorWho #Season26 #Battlefield #ClassicWho #NicholasCourtney #JeanMarsh #SylvesterMcCoy #BrigadierLethbridgeStewart #ArthurinaLegend #Merlin #DoctorWhoPodcast
S23 · E172
June 24 · 56 min
We Hardly Knew You: Colin Baker's 11-Story Legacy - Colin Baker Retrospective
John and Jim bid farewell to the Sixth Doctor with surprising revelations about changed opinions, why fandom got it wrong, companion dynamics, and Colin's enduring legacy as ambassador for a show that screwed him over. John's Shocking Confession: After going into the Colin Baker era expecting disaster based on fan reputation, John emerges with a stunning announcement about where Colin now ranks in his Doctor hierarchy. Discussion covers what changed his mind and why the arrogance that defined Sixth Doctor was actually a feature, not a bug. The Great Reassessment: Where does Colin Baker hate really come from? The hosts dig into the Davison devotion factor, the "hurt/comfort" fiction phenomenon, visual pushback, and story selection bias. Parallels drawn to another controversial modern Doctor currently experiencing reassessment. The question: does Colin deserve a renaissance? Season Showdown: Jim and John compare Season 22's classic monster lineup against Trial of a Time Lord's experimental structure, with numerical ratings revealing surprising sympathies and contradictions. Twin Dilemma gets revisited with fresh perspective. Peri vs. Mel: Deep dive into why the Doctor/Peri dynamic never quite worked (flashback to guests on John's old public access show The Chronic Rift bashing their chemistry), why Mel clicked better with Sixth than she will with Seventh, and what might have been with that brief Tegan/Colin pairing. The BBC Institutional Problem: Doctor Who as "begrudging institution" Britain was done with by 1987, contemporary articles calling for the show to rest, and the uncomfortable parallel to where we are today. Saward vs. JNT: Who really sabotaged Colin's era? The case against Eric Saward for wanting the Doctor "off to the side," the case for JNT staying despite wanting to leave, and how Andrew Cartmel represents the moment fans took over the asylum. The Chris Chibnall irony explored. Colin the Ambassador: Why Colin immediately embraced fandom despite BBC treatment while Tom Baker grudgingly came around decades later. Discussion covers charity work, fan productions, regrets about the regeneration he refused, and the motivation difference between appreciation and adulation. McCoy Preview: John drops a gauntlet: three stories from the Seventh Doctor era will score 15/15 as among the best of the entire classic run. Setup for the Troughton-inspired "don't underestimate me" Doctor and predictions about acting range debates. Final Doctor Rankings Revealed: Jim and John count down their top six Doctors with Colin landing in surprising positions on both lists. The Tom Baker controversy unpacked - why both hosts rank him lower than conventional wisdom despite his institutional status. Coming Up Next: Patreon Exclusive (Monday): Comic "Prophets of Doom," more Doctor Who music, Memory TARDIS wheel spin, and reactions to recovered Dalek Master Plan episodes 1 & 3 (BBC YouTube Easter miracle). Main Feed (Monday - Schedule Change!): "Time and the Rani" - Sylvester McCoy's debut with Kate O'Mara as the Rani. Jim's first narration of the McCoy era. Hashtags: #DoctorWho #ColinBaker #SixthDoctor #Retrospective #11Stories #WeHardlyKnewYou #DoctorRankings #Season22 #Season23 #TrialOfATimeLord #ClassicWho #DoctorWhoPodcast #SylvesterMcCoyPreview #FandomReassessment
S25 · E181
June 17 · 1 hr 20 min
The Greatest Snore in the Galaxy - The Greatest Show in the Galaxy
The Story That Beats Coronation Street (But Divides the Hosts) Stephen Wyatt returns after Paradise Towers to deliver a circus-themed finale to Season 25. Expanded from three parts to four at John Nathan Turner's request, this story follows the Doctor and Ace arriving at the psychic circus on the planet Seganax—except Ace hates circuses, and the Doctor seems unusually fascinated by performance, danger, and magic. It wins over behind-the-sofa panelists and pulls the highest ratings of McCoy's entire run (beating Coronation Street for the first time), yet one host finds it compelling while the other considers it nearly unwatchable. What makes the difference? Production Under Impossible Circumstances The asbestos discovery that plagued Silver Nemesis forced this finale into a makeshift tent rigged in the parking lot. The budget is visibly exhausted by this point, yet the production team managed to secure Jeffrey Durham (The Great Soprendo) as the first magic consultant since 1977 to coach McCoy in juggling. The explosion sequence near McCoy was supposed to be blown air with added effects—until last-minute testing showed it looked unconvincing, so they switched to live pyrotechnics without telling the lead actor. He didn't blink on set because he believed there wouldn't be a retake. The Doctor's Behavior: A Fundamental Divide One host sees a character temporarily set aside his usual competence for story purposes. The other sees the Doctor acting like a completely different person—gullible, clumsy, silly, and uncharacteristically unable to read situations. The proactive crime-fighter from Remembrance and The Happiness Patrol has vanished, replaced by someone who falls into obvious traps and does pratfalls. McCoy's physical comedy training makes the juggling work, but does the writing serve the character he's been becoming over the last three stories? The Satire Cuts Both Ways Whiz Kid represents fandom—earnest, excited, devoted to the circus's history. His reward is a cruel, unnecessary death played as harsh comedy. What's the point of making fun of fans, especially when the message seems to be that fans should be punished for their devotion? Meanwhile, the real family in the audience—who turn out to be the Gods of Ragnarok—are abstract divine beings demanding entertainment. Who is the story really criticizing? A Pantheon Problem The Gods of Ragnarok are named after Norse mythology's apocalypse, yet they look almost Egyptian with their eye-based design. They get referenced later in New Who (specifically with the Fifteenth Doctor), which raises the question: did this story earn that future callback, or does the massive concept introduced in Part Four feel tacked on? What does naming them after Ragnarok actually accomplish? Character Choices Captain Cook is largely despised—a manipulative bore whose presence never makes sense. Mags is the victim of a rushed werewolf transformation that doesn't commit to either wolf or cat form. Kingpin is confusingly established as the former circus leader, but the revelation lands without impact. Bellboy's name suggests something, but what? The food cart lady exists to expose hippies. Meanwhile, the Chief Clown—sinister, physically controlled, genuinely threatening—stands out as the most interesting antagonist, but even he doesn't quite fit the larger story. Does a Four-Part Circus Need to Be This Long? The production feels stretched, relying on repetitive moments (running through quarries, hiding in tents, escaping robots) that feel interchangeable by Part Three. Could this have been told in three parts? Would removing redundant sequences have tightened the narrative? Does the extended runtime serve the story, or does it expose the thinness of the plot? Production Highlights: Music: First original song for Doctor Who since The Gunfighters (1966). Performed by Rico Ross, who played Private Frost in Aliens. Magic Consultant: Jeffrey Durham (The Great Soprendo)—first since Talons of Weng Chiang (1977) Guest Star: Jessica Martin (Mags) returns to the role in Big Finish and will later play Queen Elizabeth in Voyage of the Damned Ratings: 5.0–5.3–4.8–6.6 (the finale pulls the highest numbers of McCoy's entire run) Coming Up Next: Friday (Patreon): Doctor Who: The Ultimate Adventure (1989 stage production with John Pertwee—the clearest footage available on YouTube). Following Wednesday (Main Feed): Colin Baker retrospective (hiatus episode). Jim's Links: Big Top Tales Anthology - https://www.amazon.com/Big-Top-Tales-Nicholas-Ahlhelm/dp/1522700226 Pulp Fest Convention - http://www.pulpfest.com/ Hashtags: #DoctorWho #GreatestShowInTheGalaxy #Season25Finale #SylvesterMcCoy #SophieAldred #CircusStory #GodsOfRagnarok #StephenWyatt #ClassicWho #HostDisagreement #DoctorWhoPodcast
#175
June 10 · 1 hr 7 min
Season 25 Retrospective, Dalek Death Wheels, and the Announcement That Changes Everything - Patreon Exclusive #175
[Special Release: This episode is being released simultaneously on the main feed and Patreon for immediacy.] BREAKING NEWS: The Future of Doctor Who Takes a Dramatic Turn Just hours before recording, the BBC made a major announcement that affects Doctor Who's direction for years to come. RTD and Bad Wolf are parting ways with the BBC. The Christmas special is canceled. New production arrangements are being sought. John and Jim process what this means for fandom, for the show's creative identity, and for the possibility of a true fresh start. One host sees this as inevitable reckoning; the other worries about what gets lost in transition. Both discuss how long the darkness might last—and whether that's actually a bad thing. Season 25: Taking Stock of Four Stories After racing through Remembrance of the Daleks, Silver Nemesis, Happiness Patrol, and The Greatest Show in the Galaxy, Jim and John pause to rank what they've just watched. Best episode? That's clear. Worst episode? They disagree—and don't let ratings alone settle it. Best villain, best companion, best guest star, best monster, funniest moment, best overall moment—each category sparks different reactions. What makes a story work, even when individual elements fail? When does spectacle overwhelm character? Why does one host adore a story the other found painful? Nemesis of the Daleks: The First Dalek Comic in Ages A four-part comic strip featuring the Doctor's oldest enemies—and a character that may or may not have survived. The art improves significantly from recent strips. The scope feels genuinely cinematic with the Dalek Death Wheel. But here's the question: did the ending rush a story that deserved more room to breathe? John appreciates the scale; Jim wishes the narrative had time to match it. Both wonder if this Dalek adversary will return. Music & Memory TARDIS "The Psychic Circus" by Christopher Guard (who played Bellboy) is a curiosity—an actual song written specifically about an episode, not the show itself. Peter Davison's final story, "The Caves of Androzani," offers stunning supporting characters and a presidency subplot that overshadows the main narrative. One host loves it unreservedly; the other would only revisit select scenes. What Doctor Who Needs Now With RTD out and the show facing a complete reset, Jim and John discuss what a new showrunner should do. Forget continuity complications? Embrace them? How long should the silence last? Should the next Doctor arrive on screen with no explanation, like Eccleston did? Can a complete reboot work? Should there even be a TARDIS anymore? These aren't answered so much as explored—and the conversation suggests the wilderness years ahead might be exactly what the franchise needs. Support the Podcast: Join us on Patreon for early access to episodes like this, exclusive comics, Memory TARDIS selections, and bonus content! The Doctor's Beard Podcast on Patreon As little as $3/month gets you: Early access to all episodes Exclusive Patreon-only content Full comic strips we discuss Bonus Memory TARDIS segments $5/month adds access to our special Gatwa and Tennant reviews from the Disney era. Coming Up Next: Friday (Patreon): Doctor Who: The Ultimate Adventure (1980s stage production from 1989, featuring 70-year-old John Pertwee). Following Wednesday (Main Feed): Colin Baker retrospective (previously recorded Patreon exclusive from our hiatus). Following Monday (Patreon): Music, Memory TARDIS, and comics "Stairway to Heaven" and "Hunger from the Ends of Time." Hashtags: #DoctorWho #PatreonExclusive #Episode175 #RTD #BadWolf #ChristmasSpecialCanceled #Season25Retrospective #NemesisOfTheDaleks #SylvesterMcCoy #PeterDavison #CavesOfAndrozani #FutureOfDoctorWho #ClassicWho #NewWho #DoctorWhoPodcast #BrokenNews
S25 · E180
June 10 · 1 hr 36 min
25 Years, Three Factions, One Mysterious Object: The Anniversary That Might Not Be - "Silver Nemesis"
It's the 25th anniversary of Doctor Who, and for the occasion the BBC has assembled Nazis, Cybermen, time-traveling aristocrats, and a mysterious statue made of something that shouldn't exist. Add a comet, multiple centuries, and the Doctor's increasingly cryptic hints about his own past, and you've got an episode that John and Jim can't quite agree on. Production Under Pressure John Nathan Turner wanted this as the season opener for maximum impact, but the Summer Olympics threw everything into chaos. More trouble: they found asbestos in the studio. No interior TARDIS scenes meant everything had to go on location—Windsor Castle (well, a substitute), 17th-century England, and actual museums. The budget request for a proper 25th-anniversary celebration? Denied by BBC One's controller, who wasn't even a fan of the show. Tensions on set ran high, mirroring Colin Baker's era. The Idea That Started It All Kevin Clark walked into pitch meetings with no idea what to pitch. Sat down with JNT and Andrew Cartmell, and when asked what he had, he said: "Doctor Who is God." (They asked him to leave God out of it.) His concept became a story about a cosmic object, living space metal, and something called Validium. The Cybermen? Added last-minute by JNT as a twist to make it the anniversary story. Guest Stars and Hidden Layers Fiona Walker returns nearly 25 years after "The Keys of Marinus." Leslie French, who once auditioned to play the First Doctor, appears as a mathematician. Anton Differing took the Nazi role mainly to catch Wimbledon on London television. A celebrated jazz musician leads the band and gets screen time. The behind-the-sofa consensus: this beats Happiness Patrol. The Cybermen get one final classic appearance before the costumes literally fall apart (they were taped together and spray-painted silver). Where the Story Divides One host sees excellent location work, great chemistry between the leads, well-choreographed action, and "good bonkers" energy. The other finds forced humor, a clumsy attempt to deepen the Doctor's mystery, misogynistic moments, and stereotypical American characters that undermine the tone. The final scene—with Ace asking a question and the Doctor refusing to answer—creates genuine friction neither host expected. An Anniversary That Isn't Quite One For a 25th-anniversary episode, it's surprisingly light on callbacks. The real tribute to Doctor Who's past is the Cybermen themselves—silver, returning, and defeated in ways that feel... almost accidental? Multiple plot threads intersect (the Nazis, the magical artifact, the time-jumping aristocrat, the alien invaders), and whether they mesh or clash depends entirely on your tolerance for chaotic storytelling. Coming Up Next: Monday (Patreon Early): Patreon Exclusive 174 with music, Memory TARDIS, and three-part comic "Invaders from Gantac" by Alan Grant. Following Wednesday (Main Feed): Season 25 finale with "The Greatest Show in the Galaxy" (four parts). John promises it's "right up his alley." Hashtags: #DoctorWho #SilverNemesis #25thAnniversary #SylvesterMcCoy #SophieAldred #Cybermen #ClassicWho #BehindTheSofa #ProductionTrouble #HostDisagreement #Validium #McCoyEra #TimeLord #Mystery #DoctorWhoPodcast
S25 · E179
June 3 · 1 hr 20 min
From Remembrance to Regression: Where Everything Falls Apart - "The Happiness Patrol"
The whiplash is immediate and brutal. After the triumph of "Remembrance of the Daleks," this three-part story lands like a thud. Jim gives another harsh —an unprecedented score that suggests something fundamentally broken beneath the surface. Despite strong performances from McCoy and Aldred, the story struggles with disconnected thematic elements, confused production design, and a narrative that never quite coheres. The Setup That Doesn't Work Terra Alpha: an Earth colony where mandatory happiness enforced through surveillance and a cheerful Happiness Patrol keeps citizens compliant. The story also includes a candy-obsessed killer, underground dwellers (indigenous inhabitants driving plot devices), a visiting blues musician, and a complex political hierarchy. None of these elements integrate coherently. Jim's assessment: This is Paradise Towers revisited, but worse. Same drab corridors masquerading as streets, same societal oppression, same everything-we've-seen-before feeling, but without even Paradise Towers' redeeming visual moments. The Candyman Disaster Originally planned as a human villain—just a bored, pale killer. JNT and director Chris Clough wanted a robot instead. The result: an uncomfortable costume that restricted the actor's movement and visibility, made the character nonsensical, and looked rushed and disconnected from every other design element on set. The production nearly got sued by a candy company for the character's visual design. , Tonal Chaos The story can't decide what it wants to be. Satirical critique of authoritarian happiness? Straight thriller? Comedic romp? It tries all three and masters none. The mime-like makeup on the Happiness Patrol's faces goes unexplained. The slot machine execution method appears once, then switches to fondant surprise. These aren't deepening themes—they're random design choices. McCoy and Aldred Carry the Load Both hosts agree the leads transcend the material. McCoy's ad-libbed singing of "As Time Goes By" shows theatrical training and improvisational instinct. Aldred proves her action credentials and moral agency—the Doctor actively investigating rather than stumbling into danger. Yet even their chemistry can't save disconnected storytelling. John's specific note: the Doctor telling Ace "You're no good to me like this" when she's about to attack—character development that deserves better context. Production Quirks The TARDIS gets painted pink by the Happiness Patrol, requiring repainting back to blue. The sets feel claustrophobic despite supposedly being outside on streets. The behind-the-sofa guests (except McCoy, Aldred, and Sheila Hancock) admitted the story didn't work. Ratings dropped after Episode One (5.3M to 4.6M to bounce back to 5.3M). The Political Subtext Nobody Asked For Sheila Hancock (Helen A) read the script as Margaret Thatcher allegory and deliberately amplified her performance toward that direction. Andrew Cartmel apparently got nervous about the comparison; Hancock pushed harder into it. John appreciates the subtext; Jim dismisses it as irrelevant to the story itself. The political commentary doesn't enhance the narrative—it distracts from already-muddled plotting. What Could Have Worked Discussion of road-not-taken choices: What if they'd fully integrated Ace into the Happiness Patrol with brainwashing elements? What if the candy theme permeated every design choice instead of being isolated to the Candyman? What if this story had followed something other than the series' strongest episode? The Colin Baker Question Jim wonders aloud how Colin Baker might have handled this material—would his more theatrical approach have elevated the chaos or made it worse? Speculation on whether "Happiness Patrol" appears in any of the audio continuations (especially with alternate Doctors). Coming Up Next: Monday Patreon Exclusive 173: Music, Memory TARDIS, Doctor Who Unbound audio "Full Fathom Five," and comics—"Time and Tide" and "Follow That TARDIS!" Wednesday Main Feed (Friday Patreon Early): "Silver Nemesis" - the ACTUAL 25th Anniversary story (three parts). Jim handles narration. Will it recover from Happiness Patrol? Hashtags: #DoctorWho #TheHappinessPatrol #Season25 #SylvesterMcCoy #SophieAldred #McCoyEra #SheiliaHancock #Candyman #TerrAlpha #ParadiseTowersPart2 #ClassicWho #DoctorWhoPodcast #WorstMcCoyStory #FromRembranceToRegression
S25 · E178
May 27 · 2 hr 14 min
What About the Thals? - "Remembrance of the Daleks"
Jim experiences a breakthrough moment that surprises everyone—after struggling through Season 24, "Remembrance of the Daleks" finally answers the question: who is the Seventh Doctor? Special guest Alan J. Porter joins to celebrate this landmark story as the 25th Anniversary season begins with what may be one of the finest Dalek stories ever produced. What Changed? Everything came together—writing, acting, production values, and most critically, McCoy's characterization. The switch has been thrown. Jim identifies the Seventh Doctor as something unexpected: the anti-human Doctor, more realistic and pointed about humanity's flaws than previous incarnations. The umbrella becomes his signature prop. The chemistry with Ace finally clicks. Ace Equals Ripley Sophie Aldred's companion proves to be exactly what this TARDIS team needed. The hosts discuss how the show has shifted from Star Wars obsession to Alien inspiration, and why Ace works when so many companions before her didn't. Alan reveals this is his favorite Doctor/companion pairing across all of Who. Behind the Scenes Revelations Ben Aaronovitch was 24 years old when he wrote this—his first TV script ever. The dinner between McCoy, Aldred, Cartmel and the writers that changed the creative dynamic. The full-size Dalek shuttle that required a crane. McCoy's script page system in his coat pockets. Mark Ayers' rejected score that would have ruined everything. The IRA bomb scare during filming. Production Details & Cast Connections The only time Keff McCullough's music works. Michael Sheard's final Doctor Who appearance. George Sewell from UFO. Pamela Salem's James Bond connection. Dursley McLinden's tragic story. How Sophie Aldred still has Ace's jacket. The misspelled junkyard sign. John Leeson's voice work. 1963 Setting Perfection Alan praises the period-accurate set dressing that transported him back to his childhood. The TV detector van reference. Why Ace was confused by pre-decimal money. Elvis and Beatles music dating the story. Returning to Coal Hill School and Totter's Lane without requiring viewers to remember "An Unearthly Child." The Special Weapons Dalek Instant fan-favorite design that demonstrates Dalek civil war escalation. Why it works as a one-story deployment. Its weathered appearance compared to pristine white Imperial Daleks. Confirmation it returns in the Matt Smith era. Davros and Mythology The Emperor Dalek reveal subverts expectations. Imperial versus Renegade factions fighting for supremacy. The Hand of Omega as stellar manipulator. Century 21 comic design influence. Terry Molloy's final televised appearance as Davros (though Big Finish continues). Terry Nation's reluctant approval. The Skaro Problem Jim identifies the massive continuity issue everyone must discuss: the Doctor destroyed Skaro—but what about the Thals? How does this work with the Eighth Doctor movie? Why does Skaro appear in New Who? The paradox of destroying Skaro before first encountering Daleks. Alan's response: fandom generally brushes it under the carpet, but it doesn't stop this being a great story. Social Commentary The "no colours" sign that McCoy and Aldred fought to keep. How the story addresses 1960s racial tension without being heavy-handed. Ratcliffe's fascist group mirroring Dalek ideology. Whether this approach works better than New Who's handling of similar themes. Defining Moments The ripples speech in the café. The uncertainty around the Doctor's actions. Ace asking if they did good and the Doctor's ambiguous response. Why this exchange defines the entire season for Alan. The somber ending at Mike's funeral. Big Finish Spinoffs Group Captain Gilmore, Professor Rachel Jensen, and Dr. Allison Williams become the core of the "Countermeasures" series—following proto-UNIT adventures in spy/mystery format. The Anniversary Balance Why this feels more like a 25th anniversary story than "Silver Nemesis" (the designated anniversary episode). Callbacks and nods that reward longtime fans without requiring homework. How the story works as both standalone adventure and mythology expansion. Jim's Transformation The moment Jim admits he almost quit the podcast because he couldn't imagine McCoy getting better than this. His enthusiasm is genuine—this justifies the journey through rough patches. The question: can the show maintain this quality through the remaining seasons? This is the Final Dalek Story Confirmation that classic Who never returns to the Daleks after this. What a way to go out—not as chumps, but with one of their finest stories. Alan J. Porter Updates Casino Royale book complete and off to publishers (spring 2027 target). Second expanded Star Trek comics history in progress. "Saloons, Jungles and City Streets" Victorian adventure collection available now. Pulp Fest appearance coming in Pittsburgh where Jim and Alan will finally meet in person after years of online collaboration. Coming Up Next: Monday Patreon Exclusive 172: Music, Memory TARDIS, and comics—"Planet of the Dead" and "Echoes of the Mogor," plus the looming "Emperor of the Daleks" epic. Wednesday Main Feed: "The Happiness Patrol" - Jim handles narration for what he calls "the weirdest Doctor Who story title ever." Hashtags: #DoctorWho #RemembranceOfTheDaleks #Season25 #SylvesterMcCoy #SophieAldred #Daleks #Davros #SpecialWeaponsDalek #AlanJPorter #ClassicWho #25thAnniversary #CoalHillSchool #BenAaronovitch #DalekCivilWar #WhatAboutTheThals

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