Iron Man actor Robert Downey Jr as Dr Doom? A Doctor Who spin-off with an incredibly long name? XXXXX XXXXX as Johnny Storm? It can only be the reveals at San Diego Comic Con 2024, and we're here to try and make sense of it all. Even if The War Between the Land and the Sea does sound like a George RR Martin epilogue... Christian Cawley and James Mc…

n this week's show, Christian Cawley and James McLean face off with their preferred fantasy streaming shows. In the Black corner, Christian is in favour of House of the Dragon... in the Elf corner, it's James, with Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power. Which is the best show? Why have Christian and James settled on those shows and not the others? …

With a pot of tea and a distinct lack of bland biscuits and/or Jaffa cakes, James and Magnus discuss the highs and lows of the finale for series 1/14/40 of Doctor Who, Empire of Death. Were they overwhelmed? Underwhelmed? Whelmed? Hit play to find out... Shownotes Doctor Who Series 14 on BBC iPlayer Doctor Who Series 14 on Disney+ Get in touch If y…

James and Magnus commit to an after-show omnibus with a five episode review of the latest season of Doctor Who finishing with the penultimate episode, The Legend of Ruby Sunday. And James misremembers his Pyramids of Mars. For shame. Shownotes Some useful links: Doctor Who Series 14 on BBC iPlayer Doctor Who Series 14 on Disney+ Get in touch If you…

We're delighted to welcome Gareth Kavanagh to this week's podcast, in which we discuss Go Figure! This is the upcoming book detailing the entirety of the Character Options Doctor Who figurine range. It's already achieved its funding goal on Indiegogo, but you have 4 days left (as of June 15th, 2024) to help the project reach some tasty looking stre…

In this podcast, Christian Cawley and James McLean commence a conversation that takes them into an unexpected direction, namely language. Why is representation of contemporary language so poor in TV and movies? Beyond expletives in Hollywood movies, the representation of what we archaicly refer to as "street talk" is in most cases laughable. Get in…

Esteemed British actor William Russell sadly passed away on June 4th, 2024, at the age of 99. An actor with a career spanning 73 years, his final screen appearance was, of course, in a 2022 Doctor Who episode, The Power of the Doctor. Over the years, Russell (who also acted under the name Russell Enoch) accumulated a remarkable 109 screen and audio…

James introduces Magnus to An Unearthly Child, a planned kommentary podkast that has found bittersweet timing with the sad passing of William Russell, the actor who played Ian Chesterton, and James’ beside framed autograph. Explore An Unearthly Child through the eyes of a being who has never seen it before! Shownotes An Unearthly Child is not avail…

James McLean welcomes back the enigmatic Magnus to discuss the new adventures of Doctor Who. Series 14 is with us, but what is the Kasterborous take on Space Babies and The Devil's Chord episodes? Well, there is only one way to find out. (Actually two, but unless you're prepared to track down James and Magnus and ask them face-to-face, listening to…

Incredibly, it is 25 years since The Phantom Menace hit cinemas and launched a revival of Star Wars that continues to this day. Inspired by the discovery of a 4K vs 35mm comparison video on YouTube, Christian Cawley and James McLean discuss The Phantom Menace. From watching it for the first time, to modern questions and inconsistencies, this talk h…

We're back with a new, later-than-planned podcast with guest Philip Bates of The Doctor Who Companion. Philip chats to Christian Cawley about some projects he's working on with Candy Jar Books, which includes some books on The Racoons, an update to Companions: Fifty Years of Doctor Who Assistants called Companions: Sixty Years of Doctor Who Assista…

The Church on Ruby Road is reviewed in our latest Doctor Who podcast. Christian Cawley is conducting other activities this week, so James McLean is joined by "Magnus" to discuss the 2023 Doctor Who Christmas special. But who is Magnus, and will you ever find out? Probably not, but it's an interesting conundrum to consider as you listen to this chat…

Admittedly later than planned, we're back for our review of the third Doctor Who 60th anniversary episode, The Giggle. Guest starring Neil Patrick Harris (Doogie Howzer MD, How I Met Your Mother, etc.), the episode reintroduces Bonnie Langford as Melanie Bush and brings us our first look at the 15th Doctor Who, Ncuti Gatwa. Quite a bit of him, in f…

We're back with a discussion about the latest Doctor Who 60th anniversary episode, Wild Blue Yonder. Christian Cawley and James McLean discuss various elements of the story, how it came across and compared to the previous episode (The Star Beast), and spend a few minutes slagging off the Power of Three. Oh, and we're very pleased to tell you that t…

The first part of Doctor Who's 60th anniversary has aired - but what did the Kasterborous team think of The Star Beast? This week, Christian Cawley and James McLean are joined by Philip Bates, the driving force behind The Doctor Who Companion. We cover everything from steelworks in North London (!) to Miriam "Margoyles" with gender transitions and …

It's Doctor Who's 60th anniversary today, but how does the promotion and hype compare with other years? Christian Cawley and James McLean look back at 1998, 2003, and 2013 to contrast and discuss how things were very different in Doctor Who celebrations in landmark years gone by. Shownotes: Russell T Davies and David Tennant on The One Show Russell…

John Kenneth Muir and James McLean's deep dive into Star Trek continues in our latest podcast. John Kenneth Muir and James McLean finish off their discussion on 57 years of Star Trek with a reflection on Star Trek's impact in the 21st Century... desperately, needfully, and irresponsibly seeking to conclude what the franchise means to them. If you m…

What does the Whoniverse bring to Doctor Who? 60th anniversary celebratory wonder! We're here; it's November 2023, it is the month of Doctor Who's 60th anniversary, and the BBC has gone all-out to provide celebratory media in all shapes and sizes. Central to all of this is The Whoniverse, the BBC iPlayer hub of Doctor Who episodes, documentaries, s…

Between May and September 2023, the "Hollywood double strike" - joint industrial action by the Writers Guild of America and SAG-AFTRA - halted production of TV and movies (and some video games). The reason for this was generative AI - artificial intelligence that has been programmed to produce text, art, video, and audio material from text prompts.…

James McLean and cult writer and critic John Kenneth Muir return with a new episode of the podcast that focuses on American cult film/television of the late 20th century (and beyond). In the first installment of a two-part chat, James and John discuss the biggest sci-fi phenomenon to come out of 1960s TV: Star Trek. (Yes, Doctor Who fans, you read …

As we've just been blessed with an amazing Doctor Who trailer for the 60th anniversary, Christian and James have got together to discuss what we saw. But it's not all about the Celestial Toymaker! Our existing podcast was due to go live yesterday, so we hurriedly recorded some extra material - found in the first 15 minutes of the episode - to discu…

James McLean and cult writer and critic John Kenneth Muir are back with a sixth episode of the podcast that focuses on American cult film/television of the late 20th century (and beyond). This time, John and James look forward, then look back, then look now at the crisis of infinite media that threatens to drown us all. Are we at the cusp of a bran…

Doctor Who's exploits in the video game world have often left fans and gamers cold. Despite the success of other franchises (think Star Wars, Star Trek, Harry Potter, Jurassic Park, and many others) in the video game arena, Doctor Who's main hits have been a pinball machine and an appearance in Lego: Dimensions. And yet, Doctor Who has spawned an i…

Join James McLean and cult writer and critic John Kenneth Muir for the fifth in what has become a highly irregular series of podcasts focusing on American cult film/television of the late twentieth century (and occasionally, or sometimes quite frequently, other stuff). This episode considers the role of the audio drama drawing upon John's own exper…

In a wide-ranging chat Christian Cawley and James McLean consider the impact of the closure of Network on Air, why we love to collect TV and movie stuff, and try and work out what quiz show Going for Gold was all about. Shownotes Some useful links to get you through the podcast. Midsomer Murders: Written in Blood Written in Blood by Caroline Graham…

Doctor Who is off-air, so what the heck are we going to talk about? And what happens when two middle aged white guys realise they're not necessarily saying anything new about the show they've been watching since 1980ish?By Christian Cawley, James McLean

It's nearly 2023, so we thought: why don't we do something different with our Doctor Who podcast? The result is our "review of the year" in which Christian Cawley and James McLean look back at 2022, picking the most topical stories for a series of 12 months that are among the strangest in Doctor Who's 59 years. Shownotes Some links to help you bett…

As we head into a winter with no seasonal Doctor Who episode, there is good news: Russell T Davies has confirmed that Doctor Who Christmas specials will be back! We also look at some uncanny Doctor Who art created by artificial intelligence (AI). Meanwhile, the new TARDIS interior has been leaked! Then pulled! But we saw them, and we'll give you an…

We're back with a new podcast as we look at Millie Gibson's casting as the new Doctor Who companion and take a look at the new Vworp Vworissue 5 cover. Consider this a short and sweet "latest news" update before we deliver some seasonal Doctor Who podcast goodies over the next few weeks. Shownotes Millie Gibson is the new Doctor Who companion Radio…

Disney+ will be distributing Doctor Who in territories beyond the UK and Ireland from 2023. Host Christian Cawley mulls over this news, along with speculating on just who is starring in the three specials in 2023 - surely they can't all feature David Tennant...? The main part of this week's podcast is the second half of Christian Cawley's chat with…

It's the end, but the moment has been prepared for. If the recent "regeneration" trailer told us anything, it's that The Power of the Doctor would be jam-packed with subtle references to the show's great history. Conceived and scheduled to coincide with the BBC's centenary, the 90 minote special also marked the end of Jodie Whittaker's time as the …

Many fans of the series admire the various Doctor Who speeches. From the original Doctor bidding farewell to Susan in The Dalek Invasion of Earth to Jodie Whittaker's memorable statement of intent in The Woman Who Fell to Earth, speeches are a vital component of the main character. But it isn't only the Doctor Who throws memorable speeches out - hi…

We're just one week away from The Power of the Doctor in which Jodie Whittaker's Doctor leaves our screens and Chris Chibnall's time as Doctor Who showrunner comes to an end. However you feel about this, it cannot be denied that it has been an interesting few years. With this in mind, and with a look at the episode's first trailer (which includes a…

As The Power of the Doctor rumbles ever closer, we take a look at a new publicity photo of Sophie Aldred as Ace, complete with baseball bat and bomber jacket! Along with a brief chat about recent news, our Doctor Who podcast also takes a look at your reactions to our last show. Your thoughts on which actor might be considered the "definitive" Docto…

Tom Baker, Jon Pertwee, David Tennant, Matt Smith... hell, any of them could be considered the definitive Doctor Who. In a world where particular actors are inextricably linked to characters by audiences - Sean Connery as Bond, Christopher Lee as Dracula, Christopher Reeve as Superman - we explore why this happens, and how it affects Doctor Who. In…

Some Doctor Who casting is inexplicable. You might call it bizarre, bonkers, barmy, or stunt casting. In this podcast, Christian Cawley and James McLean consider the history of Doctor Who's guest casting ups and downs, highs and lows, covering names such as (but not limited to) Barbara Windsor, John Cleese, Simon Pegg, Ken Dodd, Richard Briers, Stu…

House of the Dragon is the new Game of Thrones prequel that has just hit HBO and Sky Atlantic and among the cast is former Doctor Who star Matt Smith. In this podcast, we look at how Matt has faired since leaving Doctor Who in 2013, and his career ups and downs. Interestingly, the ups appear to be largely on TV while the downs invariably occur on t…

Recent Doctor Who news concerning the 60th anniversary and Russell T Davies' new series s the topic of this week's show, which takes a short pitstop in the world of Game of Thrones. Shownotes Composer Segun Akinola to Leave Doctor Who Christopher Eccleston Has Recorded "Something Special" for 60th Anniversary Doctor Who to Stream on Disney+? Chris …

Following the passing of David Warner and Bernard Cribbins, we consider their roles in Doctor Who and beyond.By Christian Cawley, James McLean

In one of those episodes where we talk over Doctor Who, James McLean and Christian Cawley revisit 1975's The Android Invasion. Starring Tom Baker and Lis Sladen as the Doctor and Sarah Jane Smith, the serial is a rare 1970s adventure from the hand of Terry Nation - rare, as it doesn't rely on Daleks, Thals, or radiation. Discussing everything from …

The crazy Doctor Who casting keeps coming, so this week's podcast has a chat about Neil Patrick Harris before turning attention to Blu-ray boxset promos. Do Mel's Dragon's Den antics count as "real" Doctor Who? Is the Fourth Doctor's chat with a disembodied head between seasons part of your canon? Or, is it fine to dismiss these as little more than…

It's the question on everybody's lips: what does David Tennant's return as Doctor Who actually mean to the show's ongoing story? And what's the deal with that new sonic screwdriver? To get to the bones of it all, we've teamed up with Brian Terranova once again to talk Tenth/Fourteenth (?) Doctors, Catherine Tate, sonic screwdrivers, and new shoes. …

Prometheus, House of the Dragon, the Star Wars prequel trilogy, and many more all have one thing in common: they're all prequels. While it remains to be seen how House of the Dragon will turn out, looking around there aren't many people crying out for a Game of Thrones prequel. But even if they were, would it be any good? Are prequels really necess…

As we saw in Survivors of the Flux, the idea of a multiverse has been reawakened in Doctor Who, 52 years after Inferno first introduced the concept to the show. In the post-Spider-Man: No Way Home/Loki/Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness cultural landscape, the concept of multiverses has become mainstream. No longer the conceit of forgotten…

Well, the title says it all! Just a week after the new Doctor was announced, David Tennant and Catherine Tate are confirmed as returning to Doctor Who in 2023. Last week, who could have imagined a David Tennant and Catherine Tate Doctor Who return at all, never mind so swiftly? Christian Cawley and James McLean come to terms with the news and its p…

Yesterday you probably hadn't heard of Ncuti Gatwa. Today, he's the new Doctor Who. The actor is probably best known for his role in the Netflix show Sex Education, but all that is about to change with his casting as the Fourteenth Doctor. In this podcast, Christian Cawley and James McLean recap the casting, and feature some reaction from Doctor Wh…

With one more episode of Jodie Whitakker's Doctor Who run to go, we review Legend of the Sea Devils, an episode that promises but doesn't quite deliver. Christian Cawley and James McLean explore the episode's high and low points, and discuss the impact of the "Next Time" trailer. They also consider where Doctor Who might go post Chibnall. Will RTD …

Doctor Who is back this Easter weekend with Legend of the Sea Devils, the penultimte adventure of the 13th Doctor. We check out the trailer, make some observations about what is known (or rumoured) and look forward to the episode. Meanwhile, the reaction to our last podcast (How Much Does it Cost to Meet Doctor Who Actors?) has been excellent. Chri…

Stunned by the price fans pay for a photo, autograph, and meet Doctor Who actors, this podcast looks at encounters the podcast team has had with people from the show. We cover everything here, from youthful encounters with larger-than-life actors to interviewing renowned television directors. We also have some "fantasy guest" chat, in which we try …

Our podcast this week welcomes back Gareth Kavanagh for a longer chat, mainly about Cutaway Comics' latest projects, selling issues in the basement at Gallifrey One, and taking a trip to Aldbourne in honour of 1972 Doctor Who serial The Daemons. Gareth joins Christian Cawley and James McLean in a wide ranging conversation that takes in Brian Blesse…