Best Pete Pachal and Chris Taylor Podcasts (2024)

1
Battle of the Planets (Strafing “The Armageddon Factor”) 1:30:40

4d ago1:30:40

1:30:40

It’s all been leading to this: The Key to Time season promised a big payoff, one that would assemble the most powerful artifact in the universe and put the Doctor in the middle of a cosmic conflict between the Guardians (well before they had silly birds on their heads). But with the stakes so high, why are we spending so much time pondering princes…

1
The Dying Game (HOT TAKE: "Empire of Death") 50:09

20d ago50:09

50:09

Is it getting dusty in here? “Empire of Death” delivers a canon bomb that changes 49 years of Doctor Who history, alongside an emotional twist at the end. If you’re not crying Ncuti Gatwa-style at Ruby and her mum, check to see if you just crumbled into dust. But does the rest of the finale work? And is the Doctor a bad dog owner now? Join us as we…

1
Wait of the World (HOT TAKE: "The Legend of Ruby Sunday") 46:13

26d ago46:13

46:13

It’s official: The One Who Waits has been waiting since 1913 (or 1975, depending on the dating protocol). Everything’s gone a bit pyramid-shaped in “The Legend of Ruby Sunday,” as RTD’s multiple twists kept us mostly distracted from the return of this classic villain. So what has he been up to for the last 7,000 years, and how exactly did he seduce…

1
Boy Story (HOT TAKE: "Rogue") 50:25

1M ago50:25

50:25

Feeling Rogue-ish? This proud Regency romcom takes Who to places old and new, with enough charm and confidence to fill a shed. It’s a meta love letter to all kinds of fandoms, and cheekily drops in a mystery Doctor (and/or villain?!) like we wouldn’t notice. Join us as we cosplay a couple of podcasters and pour one out for another charming companio…

1
Happy Daze (Rockin’ “Delta and the Bannermen”) 1:33:18

1M ago1:33:18

1:33:18

A trip to 1950s Earth to visit Disneyland? Ranking by stories that got our hopes up, Delta and the Bannermen is near top of the charts. But this is actually a bait-and-switch we don’t mind, because the detour to rural Wales sets off a nostalgic romp filled with period music, motorcycle chases, and hostile bees that are most definitely not disappear…

1
Blackest Mirror (HOT TAKE: "Dot and Bubble") 40:33

1M ago40:33

40:33

It’s been subtle in the past, but Dot and Bubble is Doctor Who’s first overt homage to Black Mirror, the groundbreaking series that satirizes our relationship with technology in the darkest of ways. It’s ironic, then, that this story has one of the subtlest pieces of subtext in the show’s history, with a moral message lurking just beneath the skin …

1
Isolation Game (HOT TAKE: "73 Yards") 31:06

2M ago31:06

31:06

It might sound like a really spectacular field goal, but 73 Yards is one of the most unusual episodes of Doctor Who to date. With the Doctor missing, Ruby Sunday must stand alone against… whatever seems to be stalking her. Simple enough, but thanks in large part to a tour de force performance by Millie Gibson, what results is a terrifying story — o…

1
Carnival With Monsters (Cracking “Thin Ice”) 1:25:19

2M ago1:25:19

1:25:19

How much fun time travel is can often depend on the amount of melanin in your skin. That’s one of the lessons Bill Potts learns in Thin Ice when she and the Doctor take a quick detour to Regency London. At first it looks to be a lively visit to one of the Frost Fairs on the river, but mysterious lights beckon the pair, and soon they’re up to their …

1
Mine Craft (HOT TAKE: "Boom") 46:04

2M ago46:04

46:04

When Doctor Who veterans Steven Moffat and Russell T Davies get together, the results can be … explosive. In Boom, Moffat manages to mine classic Who history (hello, Genesis of the Daleks!) while referencing many of his own post-2005 Who scripts. But how will it land with new fans? Stand still with us as we try to defuse this situation with a hot t…

1
Getting Meta With It (HOT TAKE: "Space Babies" and "The Devil's Chord") 57:49

2M ago57:49

57:49

Beatles and butterflies, oh my! ‘Doctor Who’ is back, babes, and we’re cautiously optimistic about it. The first two episodes of the new season, ‘Space Babies’ and ‘The Devil’s Chord,’ show off the range of the show for newbies, but still manage to intrigue, please and irritate the old folks all at once. Join us as we reveal what RTD has to say abo…

1
Doctor Who 'Season 1' PREVIEW: Countdown to RTD2 41:54

2M ago41:54

41:54

The first two episodes of Ncuti Gatwa's first season as the Doctor — Space Babies and The Devil's Chord — are just days away. And here at Pull To Open, we've already seen them. And we say "we," we mean Chris. There's only so much he can say about the stories, however, so it's up to Pete to carefully probe the limits of his forbidden knowledge witho…

1
O Holy Plight (Beholding “The Church on Ruby Road”) 1:33:14

2M ago1:33:14

1:33:14

Coincidence is how goblins surf time, according to The Church on Ruby Road. So when the Randomizer took us to Ncuti Gatwa’s Christmas special mere days before his first season, you can forgive us for being a little freaked out. Join us as we argue over literally everything in this light-hearted romp, from Ncuti’s narration at the start to Mrs. Floo…

1
Disasters of the Universe (Unleashing “Flux”) 2:13:46

3M ago2:13:46

2:13:46

What the Flux? No, seriously, what was the actual Flux that happened in Series 13, and why has the Randomizer brought us here now? Can Chris Chibnall’s sprawling Time vs. Space opera even be explained? And did anyone notice the 7 billion dead dogs? Join your totally professional tour guides to Liverpool — er, Doctor Who — as we journey down the tim…

1
A Message From Pull To Open 2:25

3M ago2:25

2:25

We interrupt this podcast for an important message. The Media Copilot podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/the-media-copilot ©️AnyWho Media LLC 2024 --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/pull-to-open/support

1
Lost in Transport (Contemplating Teleportation in Doctor Who) 33:11

3M ago33:11

33:11

Beam us up, Doctor! From T-Mat to the Kerblam Man, Doctor Who has a rich history of playing with teleportation. We lock onto the show’s best and most notorious materializations, examining how instantaneous travel between two points in space can be amazing or infuriating storytelling. Does teleportation make for lazy plotting or does it open up a un…

1
Do You Dream What I Dream? (Awakening “Last Christmas”) 1:21:04

3M ago1:21:04

1:21:04

Ho-ho-holy hidden depths, Santa! Last Christmas is the Who holiday special where Steven Moffat bakes an impossible tangerine cake: light and Christmassy on the surface, frosty chills and an arctic expanse of meaning underneath. Plus it changes Capaldi’s Doctor forever. But why has the randomizer, famed for its seasonal programming, served it up to …

1
Faust Return Switch (Corrupting “The Keeper of Traken”) 1:18:05

4M ago1:18:05

1:18:05

May the Source be with you! Tom Baker’s regeneration eve story The Keeper of Traken starts strong with a Shakespearean wedding on a utopian world of niceness — but soon devolves into a slap fight between drama nerds and science nerds over a strangely buff statue. Even its surprise reveal is far from the most masterful. So can the Doctor and Adric’s…

1
Doctor Who Canon Doesn’t Matter. Or Does It? 38:48

4M ago38:48

38:48

The Toymaker may have made a "jigsaw” of the Doctor’s history, but truthfully it was well jigsawed when he got there. As any fan who has tried to make sense of Doctor Who canon knows (and there have been many), the show’s 60-year run is full of contradictions, retcons, and flat-out nonsense that paying attention to it seems like a waste of… er, tim…

1
How to Get Ahead in Megalomania (Dismembering “The Brain of Morbius”) 1:26:37

4M ago1:26:37

1:26:37

Time for the yarn on Karn that unravels the Doctor’s entire history — while cramming in more cranial puns than you can shake an oversized amygdala at. The Brain of Morbius is like a New Who embryo in a jar: a self-aware homage (to Frankenstein), a feminist fable (sort of) with a serious theme (immortality) that’s laced with laugh-out-loud lines, an…

1
Sick Burn (Deadlock-Sealing “42”) 1:21:49

4M ago1:21:49

1:21:49

A clock that ticks down in real time. A fiendishly difficult pub quiz. And a creature that lives in a sun. Chris Chibnall’s first Doctor Who story, 42, has many intriguing elements — but also a lack of focus that foreshadows his time as showrunner. Does 42 add up to more than the sum of its parts? Phone your friends at Pull To Open and find out! Gi…

1
Gravity Kills (Fortifying “The Moonbase”) 1:34:09

5M ago1:34:09

1:34:09

Ground Control to Gravitron: Take your coffee sweet and put your space suit on…. The Moonbase isn’t just the first Cybermen reboot, it’s the template for every base under siege story since. Undoubtedly, Patrick Troughton grows in the role before our eyes. But what about sick jealous Jamie, chemistry expert Ben, and the rest of this Polly cocktail? …

1
Rear Window (Revisiting the 60th Anniversary Specials) 42:58

5M ago42:58

42:58

Time and tide may melt the snowman, but it also allows things to sink in. It’s been a few months since we kicked off the new era of Doctor Who, and now that we’ve had time to absorb the 60th anniversary specials, how do we feel about them? More to the point, how do we feel about Russell T. Davies 2.0 — the opening salvo of his second at-bat as show…

1
Dream Scheme (Confronting “Amy’s Choice,” with guest Damla from Come Along Pond) 1:27:04

5M ago1:27:04

1:27:04

The Dream Lord makes the team … work? Amy’s Choice is fondly remembered as a pivotal point for the TARDIS trio of Amy, Rory and the Doctor, elevating the future Mr. Pond from gooseberry to hero. But does it give short shrift to Toby Jones as the Doctor’s alter ego? With Damla from “Come Along Pond,” a Pull To Open trio decides which reality we’re w…

1
Bastille-ing History (Overthrowing “The Reign of Terror”) 1:34:31

5M ago1:34:31

1:34:31

Allons-y into French history! The Reign of Terror is said to be the Doctor’s favorite era *ever* on Earth — so why isn’t “The Reign of Terror” a fan favorite? Is it just that it’s hard to find (boo, BritBox!) or did its plot go the way of the Scarlet Pimpernel? Take a seat in the history corner, citizen, and maybe you’ll survive your encounter with…

1
A Splatter of Faith (Consuming “The Curse of Fenric”) 1:31:39

6M ago1:31:39

1:31:39

When you sit down to watch Classic Doctor Who, you need to have faith — faith that intellect with triumph over violence, faith that poor production values will be made up for by fascinating storylines, and faith that the people making the show actually know what they’re doing. The Curse of Fenric makes you question that faith (for at least 3 episod…

1
Sewers & Serpents (Conjuring “The Magician’s Apprentice and The Witch’s Familiar”) 1:27:37

6M ago1:27:37

1:27:37

Did someone order a hybrid? The combo of The Magician’s Apprentice and The Witch’s Familiar take us on our deepest dive into Dalek territory yet. While Davros auditions for an EGOT, it’s Missy who steals the show. And hey, who turned on the HADS? Join us as we sort the overstuffed Moffat extravaganza from the weighty emotional drama! Give your own …

1
The Power and the Quarry (Betraying “Death to the Daleks”) 1:29:14

6M ago1:29:14

1:29:14

Daleks are used to being large and in charge, casually exterminating anything that moves with their ray guns and cruising over slave groups in their flying saucers. Take all that away from them, and what have you got? Basically a bunch of scared children, ready to freak out the moment a native gets a little too close with a spear. You get the sense…

1
Trivial Pursuit (Following “The Chase”) 1:35:22

6M ago1:35:22

1:35:22

Daleks, Dracula and a dancing Doctor, oh my! The Chase is pretty weird and wacky, even if the original idea was even weirder (Beatles in old age makeup, anyone?) Join us live from London, 1965, as we attempt to headcanon everything in this melange of madness — right down to Peter Purves’ Alabama accent. Give your own rating for The Chase on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠…

1
Subcontinental Divide (Bordering “Demons of the Punjab”) 1:40:03

6M ago1:40:03

1:40:03

Demons of the Punjab is not your average pseudo-historical. It’s a highly effective introduction to one of the biggest 20th century catastrophes that the developed world knows little about — and a showcase for what Who can do. Join us for a very special History Corner: everything you wanted to know about Partition of India, but were too afraid of a…

1
It’s a Plunderful Life (HOT TAKE: “The Church on Ruby Road”) 37:39

7M ago37:39

37:39

If Ncuti Gatwa didn't win you over as the Fifteenth Doctor in his debut in The Giggle, he has scene after satisfying scene in The Church on Ruby Road to do the job. From his first moments twirling in a kilt in a London club, Gatwa is in full command of the role, talking his way past policemen and ready to do battle with baby-devouring goblins. But …

1
What Doctor Who Got Us for Christmas 1:01:09

7M ago1:01:09

1:01:09

Christmas came early for Doctor Who fans this year, with not one, not two, not twenty-seven, but THREE specials to celebrate the show's 60th anniversary. As we look forward to our true Christmas gift in The Church on Ruby Road, now seems like a good time to show some gratitude. Not only has the show fully transitioned to the streaming universe via …

1
O Come Let Us Deplore Him (Extolling “A Christmas Carol”) 1:11:19

7M ago1:11:19

1:11:19

If you remember A Christmas Carol as “Scrooge in space,” remember again — before the Doctor changes your memories for you. Steven Moffat’s first Christmas special for Doctor Who is a seasonally delicious timey-wimey layer cake of Michael Gambon, Matt Smith, and nightmare sharks, with a sonic microphone song on top. Is it a Banger, or will the Bah H…

1
Laff-A-Lympics (HOT TAKE on "The Giggle") 44:21

7M ago44:21

44:21

Did you laugh? Did you cry? Did you bigenerate? The Giggle is here, and nothing in Doctor Who will be the same again. Join us as we share our full-throated reactions to Ncuti Gatwa’s debut and David Tennant’s … continuation? Remember, in the wake of the Toymaker, all opinions are now correct, especially ours. Subscribe to our newsletter at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠pu…

1
Doom With a View (Orbiting “The Impossible Planet” and “The Satan Pit,” with guest Ellie Blackwood) 1:28:46

7M ago1:28:46

1:28:46

Doctor Who meets God. No, that’s dumb, and besides — Star Trek already did it. But Doctor Who meets the Devil? That could be something, especially if you keep the precise identity of the antagonist opaque, blow up the stakes with a cosmological Rube Goldberg machine, and generally make the whole thing creepy as, uh, hell. The two-parter of The Impo…

1
Wildly Brilliant (HOT TAKE on "Wild Blue Yonder") 42:01

7M ago42:01

42:01

It's the one we don't know anything about — except now we do! Wild Blue Yonder is here, and it's so, so different from The Star Beast. After a 17th century detour to set up a, uh, weighty running gag, the real event begins: a suspenseful mystery that's rests completely on the shoulders of the cast, which in this case is only David Tennant and Cathe…

1
Dope Opera (Freebasing “Nightmare of Eden”) 1:20:19

7M ago1:20:19

1:20:19

How could Doctor Who get out of the 1970s without doing a story about the perils of drug use? Nightmare of Eden may have its roots in gritty thrillers like The French Connection, but once the lumbering Mandrels enter the picture, things start to look more like Cocaine Bear. Despite the higher-than-average creativity — the ide of physically preservi…

1
Meep Impact (HOT TAKE on "The Star Beast") 38:59

8M ago38:59

38:59

Beep the Meep is back... for the first time! Yes, it's The Star Beast, the first of three specials for the 60th anniversary, and at long last Pull To Open is jamming the Randomizer so we can give our extremely scorching takes on the first brand-new Doctor Who in a year. The Doctor has his old face! Donna is back — with a daughter! And Beep the Meep…

1
You Only Live Thrice (Amalgamating “The Three Doctors”) 1:29:17

8M ago1:29:17

1:29:17

Anniversary episodes are tricky things. You want to make a big, enjoyable show of things to attract an even larger audience than normal, but they’re by definition a celebration of everything that’s come before, so the need to please loyal fans is extreme. Threading that needle can be tough, but Doctor Who figured it out early: bring back previous a…

1
Beast Mode (Retracing “The Star Beast” Comic Strip) 45:21

8M ago45:21

45:21

If cats have nine lives, Beep the Meep must be part cat. The titular character of The Star Beast comic strip and 60th anniversary special has already had at least two lives in Doctor Who: First as a featured player in the comic strip of Doctor Who Magazine, where he (it?) encountered the Fourth Doctor twice — in Beep’s 1980 debut and the 1996 seque…

1
Identity Theft (Bifurcating “Human Nature” and “The Family of Blood,” with guest Steven Schapansky) 1:29:18

8M ago1:29:18

1:29:18

In Doctor Who’s early years, there were many episodes where the Doctor was noticeably absent, usually because William Hartnell or Patrick Troughton needed a holiday from the grueling shooting schedule. But Human Nature is the only episode of Doctor Who where the Doctor doesn’t appear at all outside of flashbacks. Of course, David Tennant is front a…

1
Futures Trading (Contradicting “Day of the Daleks”) 1:29:44

8M ago1:29:44

1:29:44

Perhaps no classic episode has benefited more from a “special edition” than Day of the Daleks. Although it tells a solid timey-wimey paradox story, the original version didn’t do justice to Doctor Who’s No. 1 monsters. They only made three rather diminutive props for the story, and the voices made Lumbergh from Office Space sound good. But when you…

1
The Pull To Open Hot 100 (Ranking Our First 100 Random Stories) 54:01

9M ago54:01

54:01

OK, you've got us — not all 100 stories were randomly picked. That's because when we were but a wee newborn Doctor Who podcast, we weren't random. Series 12 was underway and, after reviewing every single Christmas episode, we zeroed in on the current season. But that was predictable, common, perhaps even a little basic. Pull To Open needed somethin…

1
Pods and Monsters (Germinating “The Seeds of Death”) 1:46:11

9M ago1:46:11

1:46:11

Instantaneous teleportation between any two points on Earth? Sounds pretty convenient — so convenient that it might lead to a stagnant society ripe for conquest by the next passing alien force. Yes, The Seeds of Death tees up the planet quite nicely for the Ice Warriors, but it’s hard to close the deal when your troops faint when they get close to …

1
The 10 Best Cold Opens in Doctor Who 1:30:24

9M ago1:30:24

1:30:24

Plenty of casual viewers of Doctor Who have been hooked into becoming fans because of the cold opens. Well, we don’t have stats or anything, but that feels true — because there are just so damn many great ones in the show that have gotten viewers to cancel plans, skip trips to the bathroom, or leave something burning on the stove because you just h…

1
The Horse Awakens (Venerating “The Myth Makers”) 1:54:54

9M ago1:54:54

1:54:54

What exactly is the Doctor’s attitude towards changing history? With all the pure historicals of the era, William Hartnell’s Doctor actually has a lot to say about this. While The Aztecs makes clear his reluctance to interfere in history, The Myth Makers shows his bemusement at becoming a part of it — and his regret at seeing the consequences of th…

1
Red Con (Recovering “The Ambassadors of Death”) 1:51:12

10M ago1:51:12

1:51:12

If you want hard evidence that the UNIT era — when Jon Pertwee’s Doctor was exiled to Earth after being put on trial by the Time Lords — was set in the “near future,” look no further than The Ambassadors of Death. With routine missions to Mars, nuclear fuel available in factories on the British countryside, and space capsules that can land on solid…

1
In It to Twin It (Imitating “Meglos,” with guest Mark Cockram) 1:32:45

10M ago1:32:45

1:32:45

An intelligent cactus? A society that worships a giant 12-sided shape? Barbara, but not Barbara? You don’t have to get very far into Meglos to begin to feel this story is the result of a drunken session of Doctor Who mad libs, complete with its own game show segment: How Do Time Lords Get Out of a Time Loop? One thing you can’t take away from Megos…

1
Impending Boom (Diffusing “Kerblam!”) 1:39:22

10M ago1:39:22

1:39:22

Doctor Who has its share of metaphors, but perhaps none so naked as the eponymous company featured in Kerblam! (the only TV story so excited to feature an exclamation point in the title). With its motivational corporatespeak, closely monitored warehouse workers, and super-efficient delivery robots (that may or may not be homicidal), Kerblam is an o…

1
Once Upon a Time in Mexico (Sacrificing “The Aztecs”) 1:40:51

10M ago1:40:51

1:40:51

It’s not a good idea to bet against the Doctor. There are lots of lessons learned in Doctor Who’s second “pure” historical, The Aztecs, but the folly going against the instructions of the curmudgeon with the time ship is probably the biggest. Of course, Barbara’s attempts to rewrite history by softening the more barbaric instincts of the eponymous …

1
Monk History (Revising “The Time Meddler”) 1:39:09

10M ago1:39:09

1:39:09

Two full seasons in, Doctor Who finally gave viewers a hint of where its mysterious main character came from in The Time Meddler, a story that introduced the Doctor’s first time-traveling rival, the Monk. If the War Chief was a Master prototype, the Monk is the concept phase — the Doctor’s ideological opposite at a time long before the character be…

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