The Doctor Who Show

Interview: The Inside Story of How the BBC Brought Back Doctor Who

Rob sits down and talks to Paul Hayes, author of the forthcoming book, The Long Game - 1996-2003: The Inside Story of How the BBC Brought Back Doctor Who.

Drawing on more than thirty new interviews and extensive research, The Long Game is the story of the conflicts and setbacks in bringing back the series, during a transformative time for the BBC. It’s a story told by those who were there, including BBC One Controllers Lorraine Heggessey and Alan Yentob, drama bosses Julie Gardner, Jane Tranter and Mal Young, BBC Worldwide executives Rupert Gavin and Mike Phillips, and BBC Films head David Thompson – many speaking in depth for the first time about the part they played in the attempts to bring back Doctor Who.

Pre-order your copy now at tenacrefilms.bigcartel.com for its launch on November 1, 2021.

Lungbarrow

First up this month, if you're looking for chat about the news of the moment; RTD returning as Doctor Who showrunner in 2023, we have made a standalone episode called 'Resurrection of the RTD'. Find it on our podcast feed, or here on the website.

The main theme of this month's episode is the Virgin New Adventure that ended the 7th Doctor in print, Lungbarrow.

All is not well on Gallifrey. Chris Cwej is having someone else's nightmares. Ace is talking to herself. So is K9. Leela has stumbled on a murderous family conspiracy. And the beleaguered Lady President, Romanadvoratrelundar, foresees one of the most tumultuous events in her planet's history.

At the root of all is an ancient and terrible place, the House of Lungbarrow in the southern mountains of Gallifrey. Something momentous is happening there. But the House has inexplicably gone missing.

673 years ago the Doctor left his family in that forgotten House. Abandoned, disgraced and resentful, they have waited. And now he's home at last.

In this, the Seventh Doctor's final New Adventure, he faces a threat that could uncover the greatest secret of them all.

Before then, of course, there’s some news from the past month in Doctor Who, and some mini-topics to discuss. You know the drill for our monthly episode by now, dear listener.

Hope you enjoy the episode. Contact us anytime, hello@theDWshow.net

Resurrection of the RTD

Rob and Dave discuss that Russell T Davies will make a return to Doctor Who in time to celebrate the 60th Anniversary of Doctor Who in 2023, and at least one series beyond that.

This is an unplanned (unsurprisingly!) episode we've knocked out ahead of tomorrow's flagship episode of the show, where we tackle the Virgin New Adventure novel, Lungbarrow.

"I’m beyond excited to be back on my favourite show. But we’re time-travelling too fast, there’s a whole series of Jodie Whittaker’s brilliant Doctor for me to enjoy, with my friend and hero Chris Chibnall at the helm - I’m still a viewer for now." - Russell T Davies

"It’s monumentally exciting and fitting that Doctor Who’s 60th anniversary will see one of Britain’s screenwriting diamonds return home. Russell built the baton that is about to be handed back to him. Doctor Who, the BBC, the screen industry in Wales - and let’s be honest everyone in the whole world - have so many reasons to be Very Excited Indeed about what lies ahead." - Chris Chibnall

"As the 13th Doctor prepares to embark on new and extraordinary adventures, the winds of change are blowing… bringing with them news to delight Doctor Who fans across the globe. We are thrilled that Russell is returning to Doctor Who to build on the huge achievements of Chris and Jodie. Thank you to the two of them and the team in Cardiff for all they continue to do for the show and hello Russell, it’s wonderful to have you back." - Piers Wenger

"We are delighted to be joining Russell T Davies on a looped ontological paradox. Where Russell goes, we are proud to follow – and that with BBC Studios, Bad Wolf will be producing the all-new series of Doctor Who.  It is a privilege to be asked to support him in Doctor Who’s future." - Bad Wolf

Primary Sources – May 1992

Welcome to the twelfth episode of a short podcast we’re dropping on the feed every month in between our regular monthly shows.

In today’s podcast, Rob sits down with his Doctor Who Show co-host, Dave, who actually remembers issue 186 of Doctor Who Magazine from May 1992 - which is the source material for today's batch of letters.

This is Doctor Who without a safety net. The conversations could go anywhere the guest wants them to go.

This is Primary Sources.

The List Makers – Top Cliffhangers

A new month means a new LIST MAKERS episode!

This time, our top cliffhangers. And because there are so many across Classic and Modern Doctor Who, we do 10 picks each... and still manage to steer the episode to under 20 minutes, total, in spite of discussing 20 cliffhangers!

If you've never heard a List Makers episode before, these are 20m chats based around making a list related to a Doctor Who topic and discussing our similarities, differences, and whatever else comes up during the chat!

If you’re enjoying this format, write in and let us know. Suggestions for future lists to be drawn from The Hat of Rassilon are also welcome; get in touch!

Twitter, Facebook or email us old-school style at hello@thedwshow.net

Our Eras in Doctor Who Magazine Comics

As two guys who were out there in fandom - the first time - in the 1980s and 1990s, we both have really fond memories of buying Doctor Who Magazine and reading the comic strip in it.

Then, quite independently of one another (we didn't know each other!), in different Australian cities, we stopped reading the comic, long before we stopped with the magazine itself.

In this episode we discuss when we came to the comic strip in the magazine, what stories we liked (and didn't like!), and also when we started to lose interest with the strip.

Before then, of course, there’s some news from the past month in Doctor Who, and some mini-topics to discuss. You know the drill for our monthly episode by now, dear listener.

Hope you enjoy the episode. Contact us anytime, hello@theDWshow.net

Primary Sources – July 1988

Welcome to the eleventh episode of the podcast we’re dropping on the feed every month in between our regular monthly shows.

In today’s podcast, Rob sits down with Mark John from the Diddly Dum podcast to discuss the letters from a vintage issue of DWM from Doctor Who's 25th anniversary year.

This is Doctor Who without a safety net. The conversations could go anywhere the guest wants them to go.

This is Primary Sources.

The List Makers – Top Earth-based Stories

A new month means a new LIST MAKERS episode!

This time, our top Earth-based stories. A topic that can be taken in a number of ways, as we go on to prove.

These are 20m chats based around making a list related to a Doctor Who topic and discussing our similarities, differences, and whatever else comes up during the chat!

If you’re enjoying this format, write in and let us know. Suggestions for future lists to be drawn from The Hat of Rassilon are also welcome; get in touch!

Twitter, Facebook or email us old-school style at hello@thedwshow.net

14 for 14 (The Doctor Who Show Presents...)

On July 29, the BBC announced that Chris Chibnall and Jodie Whittaker would be leaving Doctor Who after a six-part series later in 2021 and three specials in 2022, ending around November with the centenary celebrations of the BBC.

In the spirit of our '21 Replacements For 12' episode on February 1, 2017 (where we came up with 21 potential new Doctors to replace Peter Capaldi), here we discuss 14 picks (seven each), to replace Jodie Whittaker as the Doctor.

We also discuss Joe Michael Straczynski (aka 'JMS') throwing his hat into the ring to be the new showrunner of Doctor Who. Naturally, we approve.

Who would YOU cast as the 14th Doctor? Why not get in touch and let us know?

Tweet us, Facebook us or email us at hello@thedwshow.net

Series 2 - 2006

Early in July we ran a Twitter poll with two Modern Who series picks from Dave and two from Rob. We asked which one you'd like us to discuss in the July episode and the results, after 268 votes were...

Series 7a - 9.3%
Series 6  - 14.6%
Series 9  - 35.4%
Series 2  - 40.7%

So tonight we honour the vote by discussing David Tennant's debut series as The Doctor. What did we make of it at the time? What do we think of it now?

Before then, of course, there's some news from the past month in Doctor Who, and some mini-topics to discuss. You know the drill for our flagship show by now, dear listener.

Hope you enjoy the episode. Contact us anytime, hello@theDWshow.net

New Earth
Tooth and Claw
School Reunion
The Girl in the Fireplace
Rise of the Cybermen
The Age of Steel
The Idiot's Lantern
The Impossible Planet
The Satan Pit
Love & Monsters
Fear Her
Army of Ghosts
Doomsday

Primary Sources – June 1996

Welcome to the tenth episode of the podcast we’re dropping on the feed every month in between our regular monthly shows.

Normally Rob sits down with his co-host Dave, or a guest, to talk about letters from classic issues of Doctor Who Magazine.

In today’s podcast, however, Dave is presenting letters to Rob from a classic issue of Sonic Screwdriver – the fanzine of the Victorian Doctor Who Fan Club.

This is Doctor Who without a safety net. The conversations could go anywhere the guest wants them to go.

This is Primary Sources.

The List Makers – Top 1980s Stories

A new month means a new LIST MAKERS episode!

This time, our top stories of the 1980s.

These are 20m chats based around making a list related to a Doctor Who topic and discussing our similarities, differences, and whatever else comes up during the chat!

If you’re enjoying this format, write in and let us know. Suggestions for future lists to be drawn from The Hat of Rassilon are also welcome; get in touch!

Twitter, Facebook or email us old-school style at hello@thedwshow.net

The Holy Terror

Regular listeners will know we don't talk a lot of Big Finish on the show. We occasionally mention it in news stories and Rob recently reviewed the new Eccleston box set, "Ravagers", but on the whole we aren't a Big Finish podcast and often point our listeners towards the excellent, Sirens of Time podcast by fellow Aussies Dwayne Bunney and Philip Edney.

Tonight, however, we talk about our backgrounds with Big Finish... what we have and haven't heard... what we'd like to do with our Big Finish listening in the future... and most importantly of all, we review THE HOLY TERROR by Rob Shearman, as voted by YOU.

Before then, of course, we have some news from the past month in Doctor Who, and some mini-topics we want to discuss. You know the drill for our flagship show by now, dear listener.

Hope you enjoy the episode. Contact us anytime, hello@theDWshow.net

Primary Sources – August 1987

Welcome to the ninth episode of the podcast we’re dropping on our podcast feed every month in addition to The List Makers and our flagship Doctor Who Show episodes.

These are short podcasts where Rob sits down with a guest and reads letters – the primary sources of the title – about Doctor Who from the 80s and 90s, for the purpose of kick-starting a conversation. Vitally, the guest doesn’t know anything about the content of the letters before we record.

In this episode, Rob talks to Richard Smith from the Something Who podcast about the letters in DWM from August of 1987!

This is Doctor Who without a safety net. The conversations could go anywhere the guest wants them to go.

This is Primary Sources.

The List Makers – Worst Special Effects

A new month means a new LIST MAKERS episode! 

This time, our top worst special effects in Doctor Who.

These are 20m chats based around making a list related to a Doctor Who topic and discussing our similarities, differences, and whatever else comes up during the chat!

If you’re enjoying this format, write in and let us know. Suggestions for future lists to be drawn from The Hat of Rassilon are also welcome; get in touch!

Twitter, Facebook or email us old-school style at hello@thedwshow.net