In this edition of The Doctor Who Podcast, Stephen, Leeson and James take a look back at the soon-ending Matt Smith era of the show and choose two episodes each of what they consider to be must-see eleventh Doctor stories to talk about.  But will they agree on the definition of ‘must-see’?! Do space-pigs fly?

For sane listeners, Ian and Michele take a look at Big Finish’s first multi-doctor story, The Sirens of Time.

So put the kettle on, pull up a chair and treat yourself to a jammy dodger and listen to the DWP team wax lyrical about Matt Smith and Doctor Who screened since 2010.

Enjoy the show.

As every fan will know by now, it was recently announced that nine previously missing episodes of classic Doctor Who had been found and returned to the BBC Archive.  Hooray!  The find means we can watch The Enemy of the World in its entirety and five complete episodes of The Web of Fear.

In this episode, James, Stephen and Ian discuss how the story unfolded and speculate about whether the story has now run its course or if we can allow ourselves to believe more episodes are on their way….

 

In a bonus edition of The Doctor Who Podcast, we bring you the first in a mini-series of interviews with writers who have become synonymous with Doctor Who fiction, either through writing books, Big Finish audios or extensive articles for Doctor Who Magazine – or in many cases, all three!

First up, it’s Jonathon Morris who takes time out from his appearance at Big Finish Day 3 to speak to us. Jonny’s back catalogue of Doctor Who output is vast – and is still growing.  He’s the author of over 40 Big Finish audio plays and four original Doctor Who novels for the BBC. Check out his blog – it makes facinating reading.

In this interview he talks to Tony and Laura, our intrepid roving reporters at about writing, missing episodes and how it feels to put words into the mouths of actors we became familiar with by watching them on the telly all those years ago.

Many thanks to both Big Finish Productions and to 10th Planet Events for allowing us to cover the event. Enjoy the show!

It a Sergeant Benton special!! Yes, Stephen and Leeson team up once again and review the rather superb documentary included on the Special Edition of The Claws of Axos DVD, Living With Levene.  It’s a unique feature in which Toby Hadoke spends a weekend with John Levene in an attempt to get to know the real person responsible for the character Doctor Who fans know as Sergeant Benton.  Does he succeed?! Tune in to find out.

Ian and Michele also bring you a review of John Levene’s first Big Finish Companion Chronicle, Council of War.

Tune in again this coming weekend for a bonus edition of The Doctor Who Podcast as we bring you the first in a mini-series of interviews with Doctor Who writers of various media.  First up is Jonathan Morris.

In this episode, Stephen, Tom and James discuss the announcement made last week that The Day of The Doctor will be simulcast in over 75 countries around the globe.  Now just why didn’t that happen with The Five Doctors?!

They also bring you the final part in the latest mini-series of Burning Issues – to what extent does the lead actor actually need to act in order to successfully portray the Doctor?!

Michele and Ian are also back discussing the final two parts of the second run of Big Finish’s spin-off series from Remembrance of the Daleks, Counter Measures.

Discussing rumours of newly discovered missing episodes is a prerequisite of being a Doctor Who fan.  Where would be all be if we didn’t allow ourselves the secret hope that one day, someone will find the 106 episodes missing from the BBC archives in a box in someone’s loft or in the bowels of an overseas Broadcaster’s Headquarters?!

Well, as pretty much every fan knows, the latest sets of rumours gained some serious traction and have been bouncing around fandom for the last 18 months or so.  What does the DWP team make of them?  Yes, join Stephen, James and Leeson as they discuss what they’ve heard and allow themselves to dream……

 

 

Stephen and Michele share similar cultural and Doctor Who histories. They’ll agree on everything, right? Judge for yourself as they discuss a recent Big Finish main range trilogy – The Burning Prince, The Acheron Pulse and The Shadow Heart. But it isn’t until they turn their thoughts to the casting of Peter Capaldi that things get really … uh … “hot.”

We also offer a calmer, more refined Big Finish review from Ian and Michele. This week they conclude their look at the second series of Fourth Doctor and first Romana stories with a review of the two-part finale,  The Dalek Contract and The Final Phase.

And welcome to a landmark episode of The Doctor Who Podcast – for the first time, all six hosts appear on this one! But not at the same time….. it’s timey wimey.

Stephen, Tom and James zip all the way back to 1965 and talk about the first story in the third series of Doctor Who, Galaxy Four.  A reconstruction of the story (including the recently recovered complete third episode) was released on the Special Edition of The Aztecs DVD, and it’s this version of the story the team take a look at.  Not being one to be left out of a good ol’ natter about missing episodes, Leeson jumps in with his opinion too.

Still locked in the Campervan Annex, Michele and Ian and  have been passing the time by looking at another story that until recently, consisted of just one surviving episode.  Join them as they take a look at The Underwater Menace.

We’ll be back next week with the second in our newest series of Burning Issues podcasts. This time we put the sonic screwdriver under the spotlight and ask if it’s time for it to go…..Terileptil style.

The speculation, guesswork, teeth grinding and sleepless nights are over.  We now know who will step into Matt Smith’s shoes at the end of the year.

Peter Capaldi, best known from the BBC comedy series The Thick of It, director of a Academy Awards nominated short film, winner of a BAFTA and two British comedy awards, has been announced as the 12th Doctor.

Join James, Tom and Stephen as they discuss the reaction to the announcement broadcast on BBC television (and indeed worldwide!).

Join Leeson and James as they present the final piece of our coverage from Big Blue Box 2, a Doctor Who Convention held in Tunbridge Wells earlier this year. James hosts the writer’s panel in front of a theatre full of Doctor Who fans and talks to writers Andrew Smith, Simon Guerrier and Nigel Fairs.  How does it feel to have written the first words for a character that was killed off two years later?   How does it feel to resurrect a sixties companion forty five years after her on-screen death?! And what is it like to kill off a well-loved companion from the seventies on audio – and then be commissioned to write a sequel?! All these things and more are discussed on this episode of the Doctor Who Podcast!

Big Blue Box was run in aid of Compaid – a charity that helps disabled people in the south east of England and Kent.  Find out more by visiting their website at www.compaid.org.uk.  Thanks again to Stephen Elsden for being an all-round jolly decent chap and allowing the DWP to cover the convention.