Gareth Kavanagh Podcasts

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, Brian A Terranova

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…

This week's show is a bit shorter than usual, to let you find out what we think about the Hugh Grant Doctor Who rumour, and have some fun with some possible spin-off ideas. In case you had forgotten, Hugh Grant was approached to lead Doctor Who way back before Christopher Eccleston was cast. He had also appeared in Steven Moffat's Comic Relief spec…

We've promised and threatened, and this time we deliver: our commentary of Life on Mars episode 1, in which Sam Tyler wakes up in 1973. The episode stars John Simm (Doctor Who's Master 2007-2017) and Philip Glenister. This discussion takes place while watching the episode, and covers all manner of topics, from the show's early inception to fashion …

With no time travel in a police box to thrill you on TV for most of the year, we recommend you take time travel in a policeman's head as an alternative. Yes, it's Life on Mars, one of the greatest TV shows since the turn of the century. In this podcast, Christian Cawley and James McLean look back at what intrigues them about the adventures of Sam T…

We take a look at some recent Doctor Who news in this week's show, specifically the return of Phil Collinson to the day-to-day running of the RTD2 era. There is also some chat about archiving old data, and the fate of the older pages from the official Doctor Who website. Where are they? Christian Cawley and James McLean are your hosts. In the vague…

It's the third part of our retrospective of Chris Chibnall's time on Doctor Who, in which we take a look at 2011's Cold Blood. The concept is simple: we watch the episode and talk over it. You're invited to watch along with us, but you can listen without pressing play on your Season 5 DVD or iPlayer. Christian Cawley and James McLean witter on endl…

This week we continue our look at Chris Chibnall's early Doctor Who contributions with The Hungry Earth from 2010. Starring Matt Smith as the Doctor and marking the first return of the Silurians to the modern series, The Hungry Earth is the first part of a two part story with a classic set up and feel. Christian Cawley and James McLean look for sim…

The UK government has announced that the TV licence fee is to be frozen, with the BBC's funding reviewed to establish a new income model. What are the implications of this to the organization? Why did the BBC not see this coming? Could it make changes now to mitigate the impact of the changes? Why was the youth-oriented BBC Three returned to broadc…

In this podcast, we take a look at Chibnall's first Doctor Who episode, aiming to identify motifs and themes that might later appear under his stewardship of the show. Back in 2007, Chris Chibnall made his first contribution to televised Doctor Who with 42. An adventure in real-time inspired by shows like 24, it starred David Tennant and Freema Agy…

The latest Doctor Who has aired, which means that after Eve of the Daleks, we have just two episodes of Jodie Whittaker's Doctor to enjoy. Christian Cawley and James McLean recall their thoughts on the episode, with contributions from commenters on our Facebook page. Listen out too for some recommendations and thoughts about other TV shows - and a …

How does Doctor Who: Flux hold together as a series? Now the dust has cleared, we take a look at the evidence, as well as recall the impact on Doctor Who of two well-regarded recent departures from this world. Prepare yourselves for a cavalcade of Doctor Who discussion with Christian Cawley, James McLean, and Gareth Kavanagh, as they cover everythi…

Doctor Who: Flux is over. Final episode The Vanquishers has split opinion, causing confusion in some areas, accused of having too much going on, and generally being like other Doctor Who finales. Christian Cawley and James McLean discuss The Vanquishers, bringing in some listener thoughts from our Facebook page. PLUS: We talk about Sylvester McCoy …

Is Survivors of the Flux the first disappointing episode of Doctor Who Flux? Is the Grand Serpent really the Master, or just too similar? How did Yaz, Dan, and Professor Jericho escape the quantum extraction? Discussing an episode that jumped around and seemed to focus on the wrong story, Christian Cawley and James McLean consider all of the variou…

The fourth episode of Doctor Who Flux is Village of the Angels, the first appearance by the Weeping Angels as antagonists since 2012's The Angels Take Manhattan. But was this a return to form for the quantum-locked assailants, or did the episode suffer from inconsistent motivations for the villains? Christian Cawley and James McLean discuss the epi…

Once, Upon Time is the third episode of Doctor Who Flux. Marking a change of pace, the episode has been judged as being complicated by many, despite featuring appearances from Daleks and Cybermen. This podcast looks at Once, Upon Time's key elements, guest appearances, and sub-plots, as well as bringing into the conversation some comments from our …

Episode two of Doctor Who Flux is War of the Sontarans, which guest stars Sara Powell as Mary Seacole, Gerald Kyd as General Logan, and Jonathan Watson and Dan Starkey as various Sontarans. This podcast takes a look at the episode, with an in-depth chat between hosts Christian Cawley and James McLean as they attempt to get to the bottom of why this…

Jodie Whittaker is back with the first part of Doctor Who Flux. The Halloween Apocalypse is part one of the six part series, which introduces not only a new villain (Swarm) but also a universal threat (the Flux) that may or may not be related to him. Throw in some Sontarans, Weeping Angels, seven billion dog like aliens, a future friend from the pa…

This is a jam-packed podcast featuring the latest Doctor Who betting odds for the 14th star of the series, a chat about the new Doctor Who games, and of course Fluxx. Also, the new series of Doctor Who, Flux. They also mull over the Sony Pictures Television purchase of Bad Wolf Productions, terrible Doctor Who reference books, the switch in depth o…

Russell T Davies has been named as the new Doctor Who showrunner following the departure of Chris Chibnall in 2022. But does this mean a return to the show as it was in 2005, or could RTD have something more interesting planned. Well, what do you think? Christian Cawley and James McLean speculate on the future of the show now that it is finally mov…

Jodie Whittaker has announced her departure, and Doctor Who showrunner Chris Chibnall is also heading out the door. The cycle of change has once again been initiated, but we haven't got together to make endless speculation about "who's next?" Instead, we're looking at "where and what next?" What can Doctor Who do to survive in a world of Loki, The …

Brian Terranova makes Doctor Who fan films; he also collects props and cosplays. Christian Cawley and James McLean have worked on fanzines. They all host a Doctor Who podcast. But why do these, and other, Doctor Who fans keep making stuff? In this podcast we look at the various ways fans express their love of Doctor Who and other shows and serials …

Released on April 2nd, 2021, 100 Objects of Doctor Who from Candy Jar Books explores the worlds of Doctor Who from a strange new angle, courtesy of Philip Bates. He's the editor of the very popular Doctor Who Companion website and he joins Christian Cawley in this podcast to discuss the DWC, 100 Objects of Doctor Who, and a little bit of recent Doc…

This week Christian Cawley chats with Cutaway Comics' Gareth Kavanagh about Lytton, Omega, Brian Blessed, and accidentally discovering crowdfunding. Doctor Who fandom has been gifted with rare treats over the years, from comics and novels to audiobooks, audio plays, and independent movies. Anyone engaged with Doctor Who is aware of at least one of …

It's the one you've been waiting for: our thoughts on Doctor Who's New Year special, Revolution of the Daleks! It's good to se John Barrowman back as Captain Jack Harkness, but it is too short a trip? Is it a sad goodbye to Ryan? Are we worried about Yaz - and if not, should we be? And why did the Doctor languish in prison for nearly 20 years? Afte…

Jodie Whittaker has quit Doctor Who. Or has she? Who is in the running to replace the Thirteenth Doctor? Is there even a new name being considered? And is Chris Chibnall also leaving the show? We don't know, but there is plenty of press speculation to discuss. Also: comedian John Bishop is cast as the show's new male companion, the Dark Dimension r…

Following our previous podcast on how the Time War brings a whole new dimension to Rose, we apply the same thinking across the whole of Doctor Who Series 1. This time, Christian Cawley joins Brian Terranova and James McLean as they consider the impact of the events of the "previous season" (based on an idea that there is a Time War series that conc…

Doctor Who returned in 2005 with Rose. It was the first episode of the show since 1996... but in the show's continuity, The Day of the Doctor introduces new, unseen continuity to Rose. Indeed, Rose likely happens right as the regenerating War Doctor leaves the National Gallery. This podcast takes a look at The Day of the Doctor as a finale to Big F…