The Doctor Who Show

Violence in Doctor Who

*Dedicated to our friend and listener, David Harmsworth*

In today's episode we discuss violence in Doctor Who, from the original three decades of the show, through to the modern era. Has Doctor Who always been a violent series? Are some eras more violent than others?

Before then, we have an Apple Podcasts review, some news, and short topics. After the feature on violence we have our usual listener emails, and what else we've been consuming in the world of entertainment.  Strap in!

You can follow us on X @theDWshow or write to us about anything you like at: hello@theDWshow.net

Fantasy production teams

Doctor Who has had a lot of talented production staff over the past 60 years - and most of them never worked together.

In this List Makers, sent in by listener 'Blue Box' Bill McCann from the USA, we make our fantasy lists of which production staff we would have loved to see paired together.

Are you surprised by any of our choices? Agree with them? Why not let us know YOUR top production pairings?

Contact us any time: hello@theDWshow.net

The Fires of Vulcan

Dave's away this month, so Rob recruits super-sub Dwayne Bunney from the Sirens of Audio podcast for a suitably Big Finish themed episode, this time talking about the classic, The Fires of Vulcan - the twelfth story in Big Finish's monthly range, released in September 2000. It was written by Steve Lyons and features Sylvester McCoy as the Seventh Doctor and Bonnie Langford as Melanie Bush.

Before then, the guys also talk some recent Doctor Who news, including Big Chief Studios going out of business; the surprise animation of the Underwater Menace; a possible return to Doctor Who for Steven Moffat; and the 60th anniversary celebrations at Big Finish - the 'Once and Future' range of stories. Lots to talk about!

Tune in, drop out, and contact us anytime, hello@theDWshow.net

Top 1960s Stories

The 1960s era of Doctor Who is one that fascinates and entertains both of us - to the degree that William Hartnell is Dave's favourite Doctor. In this episode of THE LIST MAKERS, we sit down to discuss what our top stories of the 1960s are. Are you surprised by any of our choices? Agree with them? Why not let us know YOUR top 1960s stories?

Contact us any time: hello@theDWshow.net

Stories that could only come from their era

In past episodes of the podcast we've considered various TARDIS teams being placed into stories from other eras of Doctor Who and how they would fare. In this episode, we turn that concept on its head somewhat and each come to the table with a Doctor Who story from each era that we think could ONLY be of its era and not be made in a different era with a different team.

Before then, we also talk some recent Doctor Who news, including Ncuti Gatwa confirming he will complete at least two series of the show; Season 20 comes to Blu-ray; Target novelisations of the 60th anniversary stories; and Mark Gatiss comments on how he would play the Doctor.

Tune in, drop out, and contact us anytime, hello@theDWshow.net

Our top ’almost’ companions in Doctor Who

A new month means a new LIST MAKERS episode!

This time, we discuss 'almost' companions in Doctor Who. Characters whom we think would have made good companions or, in some cases, were designed to be companions, then the production changed course.

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

Suggestions for future lists to be drawn from The Hat of Rassilon are always welcome; get in touch via any of the methods mentioned below!

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

INTERVIEW: Pull To Open: 1962–1963: The Inside Story of How the BBC Created and Launched Doctor Who

With a new non-fiction Doctor Who book on the horizon, this time looking at the creation of Doctor Who back in 1963, Rob sits down for the third time in the life of the podcast with friend of the show and the book's author, Paul Hayes.

Pull To Open: 1962–1963: The Inside Story of How the BBC Created and Launched Doctor Who is available from Ten Acre Films on July 24, 2023.

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‘Fresh and compelling… As definitive an account of those early years as I have read’ Toby Hadoke

When Doctor Who began on Saturday November 23 1963, few could have guessed that it marked the start of perhaps the most extraordinary story in the history of BBC television drama. But there had already been another story, equally extraordinary yet unseen, leading up to the transmission of that opening episode – the creation of the series itself.

Pull to Open explores the behind-the-scenes saga of Doctor Who in 1963, when a chain of events at the BBC brought together a disparate group to launch what would become one of British TV’s best-loved and most successful programmes. It’s the story of why these events happened; the BBC creative culture into which Doctor Who was born; how television drama was made in the early 1960s; and an insight into the people who started this epic journey.

Drawing from the BBC’s written archives and new interviews with some of those who were there, including Doctor Who’s first director Waris Hussein and original co-star Carole Ann Ford, Pull to Open is a detailed and comprehensive account of the programme’s path to the screen. Immerse yourself in the world of BBC Television in 1963 and discover how a series which was almost cancelled before a single episode was shown survived to cement its place in the popular culture of a nation.

Foreword by Toby Hadoke

Mark Gatiss

From time to time, the Doctor Who Show devotes an episode to a series writer. A great chance to talk about numerous diverse episodes, sometimes from totally different eras of the show, only related by the name on the script.

In today's episode... Mark Gatiss. Possibly the most 'Marmite' of all Doctor Who writers, especially in the modern era. Fans tend to love and hate Gatiss' stories... but strangely can never agree which stories are meant to go in which column!

Stories covered in this episode include:

The Unquiet Dead
The Idiot’s Lantern
Victory of the Daleks
Night Terrors
Cold War
The Crimson Horror
Robot of Sherwood
Sleep No More
The Empress of Mars

Plus a number of 'extras' including Gatiss' New Adventure novels, Nightshade, and St. Anthony's Fire, and the 50th anniversary special, An Adventure in Space and Time.

Before then we also talk some recent Doctor Who news, including new cast members for the upcoming Ncuti Gatwa era; Davo's wife has written a book; and are there some missing episodes materialising from the ether in time for the 60th?

Tune in, drop out, and contact us anytime, hello@theDWshow.net

Top Doctor Who Scores

A new month means a new LIST MAKERS episode!

This time, we have the music we've enjoyed the most in Doctor Who over the years.

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!

Suggestions for future lists to be drawn from The Hat of Rassilon are welcome; get in touch!

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

Dave’s Big Day Out

On May 13, 2023, our Dave travelled up to Sydney to attend the Sophie Aldred fan event, run by our fellow Antipodean podcasters, The Sirens of Audio.

In addition to being there to support the return of small, fan-run events in this country, Dave was also tasked by the hosts to conduct an on-stage interview with Doctor Who author, Jon Blum. This was originally to be a joint interview with Jon and his wife, the celebrated Doctor Who author, Kate Orman, however Kate was unable to attend on the day.

This podcast is a half-hour discussion between Rob and Dave about the day in general, followed by about half an hour of audio from the Jon Blum chat. As we mention on the podcast, the audio of the Blum interview isn't up to our usual podcast standards, but we're sure you'd rather hear a version of the chat than nothing at all, so we include it here.

Enjoy!

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Season 26 (1989) Deep Dive

We threw a vote out there on Twitter for which season would like us to discuss on the next episode, from a list of four options. The results were:

Season 26 (McCoy) 34.1%
Season 8 (Pertwee) 33.3%
Season 19 (Davison) 19.7%
Series 7a (Smith) 12.9%

So here we are, tonight, to discuss Season 26, comprising:

Battlefield
Ghost Light
The Curse of Fenric
Survival

Before then, of course, we also talk some recent Doctor Who news, including the ongoing death of Doctor Who on physical media in Australia, and the book the Frazer Hines has always had in him!

Tune in, drop out, and contact us anytime, hello@theDWshow.net

Top Doctors We’d Travel With

A new month means a new LIST MAKERS episode!

This time, we have the Top Doctors that we would like to travel time and space with. Who will we pick? Will Rob pick Davo five times? How many snaps will we get?

Thanks to Lozza for the topic!

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!

Suggestions for future lists to be drawn from The Hat of Rassilon are welcome; get in touch!

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

The Mandalorian (Season 3)

We looked at the first two seasons of The Mandalorian on January 5, 2020, and December 31, 2020.

It's been a long time between drinks and, this time around, we look at Season 3 of the show. 

What did we make of it? Tune in, find out.

Chapter 17: The Apostate
Chapter 18: The Mines of Mandalore
Chapter 19: The Convert
Chapter 20: The Foundling
Chapter 21: The Pirate
Chapter 22: Guns for Hire
Chapter 23: The Spies
Chapter 24: The Return

Star Trek: Picard (Season 3)

We've looked at the first two seasons of Star Trek: Picard on August 16, 2020, and May 13, 2022.

This time around we look at Season 3 of the show - its final season.

What do we make of it? Does the series continue its downward trajectory from the first two?

Patrick Stewart as Jean-Luc Picard
Jeri Ryan as Seven of Nine
Michelle Hurd as Raffi Musiker
Ed Speleers as Jack Crusher
Jonathan Frakes as William Riker
Gates McFadden as Beverly Crusher
Todd Stashwick as Liam Shaw
Ashlei Sharpe Chestnut as Sidney La Forge
Michael Dorn as Worf
Amanda Plummer as Vadic
Marina Sirtis as Deanna Troi
LeVar Burton as Geordi La Forge
Brent Spiner as Data / Lore / Altan Inigo Soong
Mica Burton as Alandra La Forge

The Shadow of Weng-Chiang

In this episode, Rob & Dave discuss the Virgin Missing Adventure novel, The Shadow of Weng-Chiang, as voted for by... you!

162 votes were cast and Shadow of Weng-Chiang took 35.2% of the vote, just pipping Scales of Injustice on 29.6%, with Sands of Time close behind on 25.9% and Lords of the Storm on 9.3% bringing up the rear. So here we are to discuss it.

Before they get to talking about the novel, the guys also talk about the past month in Doctor Who news, including Season 9 of Classic Doctor Who on Blu-ray still not produced locally in Australia - and perhaps never will be.

Follow us on Twitter @theDWshow or write to us about anything: hello@theDWshow.net