A Hamster With a Blunt Penknife - a Doctor Who Commentary podcast

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Join Joe Ford as he waltzes all around the world (via whatever means the internet allows) and undertakes Doctor Who commentaries with a wide range of wonderful contributors. Fans, podcasters, online reviewers, writers, actors...the USP of this podcast is it's variety of guests and the fact that they all bring their own unique perspective to the podcast. The guest chooses the story, be it one they love, hate or are completely indifferent, and amongst the gossip is trivia, critique and personal experience.

Joe Ford


    • Dec 6, 2025 LATEST EPISODE
    • weekdays NEW EPISODES
    • 1h AVG DURATION
    • 1,070 EPISODES


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    Latest episodes from A Hamster With a Blunt Penknife - a Doctor Who Commentary podcast

    Talks to Robert Valentine about his choice of The Brain of Morbius (2/4)

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 6, 2025 32:42


    There's something screaming murder in the cellar, the manservant is looking for his arm, the surgeon is slicing and dicing and the butchers shop has lost its leftovers!

    Talks to Robert Valentine about his choice of The Brain of Morbius (1/4)

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 4, 2025 37:18


    There's a Sargasso Sea of spaceships, something is stirring in the laboratory, the Sisters are weaving their magic and a storm is brewing. Hold my hand, please Rob.

    Hamster Book Club - The Adventuress of Henrietta Street by Lawrence Miles (featuring Elemental Mark Donaldson)

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 1, 2025 108:01


    A rich, heady brew of sex, political detail, history, unknowable slathering horror, Gothic atmosphere and the absence left in the universe by the destruction of Gallifrey...but what will Joe & Mark Donaldson make of it?

    Talks to James Lark about his choice of The Ark (4/4)

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 29, 2025 53:01


    How will James cope with the numerous technical difficulties at the start of this episode - by trying out improvisational comedy!

    Talks to James Lark about his choice of The Ark (3/4)

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 27, 2025 31:53


    Where are Melium and Baku? Why are the Monoids suddenly so stupid? Are there invisible people on Refusis II?

    baku monoids
    Hamster Book Club - ‘Trix' - original short story

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 24, 2025 13:55


    For Andrew, who has long been frustrated at a lack of backstory and explanation for Patricia ‘Trix' MacMillan. So I thought I would write my own. Go wild.

    Happy Anniversary! The Day of the Doctor Commentary (with Dylan Rees & Iain Martin)

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 22, 2025 89:46


    In a crossover with Too Hot for TV & We're All Stories in the End, Dylan, Iain and I have assembled to talk about the 50th anniversary special - The Day of the Doctor!

    Talks to James Lark about his choice of The Ark (2/4)

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 21, 2025 31:54


    The virus is spreading, the human race is falling, the Earth is burning and the Doctor's time is running out... Also one of the best cliffhangers of all time !

    Talks to James Lark about his choice of The Ark (1/4)

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 20, 2025 50:24


    Joe & James - in person! The intrepid explorers head to the Ark which itself heads away from a decaying planet Earth and Refusis II...

    Hamster Book Club - Party Like Its 1998! (featuring Andrew Batty, Luke Sims-Jenkins & Jon Arnold)

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 19, 2025 159:13


    The greatest gift we can think of - an anthology of short stories celebrating the eighth Doctor range. Sam Jones, Fitz Kreiner, Compassion, Anji Kapoor, Iris! Just a delight to talk about.

    Talks to Martin Parsons about his choice of Image of the Fendhal (4/4)

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 17, 2025 50:09


    This mammoth commentary comes to an end with a plethora of reasons to love this creepy, smart and funny tale. We're tossing salt (ahem), sucking in (ahem) explosions and realising we're too old for this sort of thing...

    Talks to Martin Parsons about his choice of Image of the Fendhal (3/4)

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 14, 2025 29:32


    'I will be a God!' Every horror trope imaginable descends on Fetch Priory; cults, eldrich horrors, slavering monsters, ghosts...and Martin and I are raring to face them all!

    Talks to Martin Parsons about his choice of Image of the Fendhal (2/4)

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 13, 2025 35:00


    The menace is afoot with clicky technology summoning an ancient evil, Ma Tyler is on the move, and who the hell did let the Doctor go?

    Talks to Martin Parsons about his choice of Image of the Fendhal (1/4)

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 11, 2025 52:17


    We welcome Martin into the Hamster family, discover his Doctor Who journey and find out precisely what happened last night at Fetch Priory. 'A dead one what other sort is there?'

    Hamster Book Club - Rob Shearman Interview

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 10, 2025 177:37


    Joe & James talk to one of their favourite authors about writing The Chimes of Midnight and Jubilee, coming to terms with your own work, and the creating unique short story collections. A real insight into the writing process from one of the masters.

    Hamster Book Club - Ghost Light by Marc Platt (featuring Anthony Carroll)

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 9, 2025 101:48


    Quintessence of wickedness! Corruption incarnate! Until all the Atlas is pink! The Cream of Scotland Yard! Will Anthony and I finally get the answers we seek from the Ghost Light novelisation...

    Talks to Toby Hadoke about his choice of The Web of Fear (6/6)

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 7, 2025 72:40


    A brilliant ending to this six part classic...or a damp squib? And will Toby have the audacity to rewrite what is on TV to suit his reading of the story?

    Talks to Toby Hadoke about his choice of The Web of Fear (5/6)

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 5, 2025 51:30


    We're still mightily impressed with the production value, the thick atmosphere and the performances in this underground chiller...

    Talks to Toby Hadoke about his choice of The Web of Fear (4/6)

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 3, 2025 44:17


    Joe Ford & Toby Hadoke are very different people. One crude & coarse, the other erudite & charming. One selling a podcast on gossip & scandal, the other on trivia and critique. But one thing unites us: we both think this is one of the best episodes of all time.

    Talks to Toby Hadoke about his choice of The Web of Fear (3/6)

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 1, 2025 42:49


    Otherwise known as the one with the balloon people…although one of us was surprised by the reaction to the animation.

    Talks to Toby Hadoke about his choice of The Web of Fear (2/6)

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 31, 2025 42:52


    Troughton is taking a week off but we are ably supporting by a host of fascinating guest characters...and more importantly we can watch this episode!

    Talks to Toby Hadoke about his choice of The Web of Fear (1/6)

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 31, 2025 56:54


    Where we explore dark undergound passages, homicidal mythological creatures, sticky web and the joy of returned missing episodes...

    Hamster Book Club Halloween Special - White Darkness by David A. McIntee (featuring James Lark & Michael Mills)

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 29, 2025 124:44


    Real life historical atrocities rub shoulders with mythological and cosmic horror rub shoulders with James Bond spy thriller! There is much to discuss in this neglected and surprisingly contentious book...

    The (X) Hamster Files - Ghost in the Machine (featuring Agent Ioan Morris)

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 27, 2025 50:32


    Evil sentient technology…a portent of the future? How does The X-Files tackle HAL? Agent Morris is with me to do all the hard work and let me take all the credit!

    Hamster Book Club - Vanderdekens Children by Christopher Bulis (featuring Luke Sims-Jenkins, Jon Arnold & Andrew Batty)

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 26, 2025 120:59


    War in the Hamster Book Club! As we explore Christopher Bulis' gaping orifice, there is a huge spread of opinions. Is this the Middest of all Doctor Who writers...or are there some surprises?

    Talks to Dr Simon Exton about his choice of The Moonbase (4/4)

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 25, 2025 35:39


    That's taken care of the Cybermen! The most powerful tea tray in history! Is gravity the best weakness of the Cybermen ever? And have you ever seen a bigger ray gun?

    Talks to Dr Simon Exton about his choice of The Moonbase (3/4)

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 25, 2025 30:43


    What the hell her the ingredients of a Polly cocktail? Is this her best episode? And are Jamie and Ben both in love with her?

    Hamster Book Club - The Last Dodo by Jacqueline Rayner (featuring Gareth Bowley, Dan Pinn & David Gillespie-Pratt)

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 23, 2025 130:27


    A throwaway New Series Adventure or a moving lesson in the human races extinction list? We tackle the thorny subject of extinction, of museums, and of conservation in this surprisingly touching book.

    The (X) Hamster Files - Shadows (featuring Agent Frazer Gregory)

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 21, 2025 50:20


    The first supernaural case in The X-Files - a woman haunted by her murdered boss who is trying to protect her from the people who killed him. Is this so serious that Frazer's journey will end before it begins?

    Talks to Dr Simon Exton about his choice of The Moonbase (2/4)

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 20, 2025 26:12


    Our discussion of this under appreciated story continues as we figure out…it's in the sugar! Troughton charms, and his scenes with Polly charm the most.

    Strictly Come Hamster - the rest of Hartnell (Jon Arnold, David Gillespie Pratt & Frazer Gregory)

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 19, 2025 231:48


    The maddest, most contentious, most laughter filled Strictly yet! How can the fag end of Hartnell provoke so many potent opinions?

    Talks to Dr Simon Exton about his choice of The Moonbase

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 17, 2025 36:07


    Grab your Polly cocktails, zip up your quilted spacesuits, avoid the Phantom Piper...we're heading to the moon!

    Talks to Paul Arthur about his choice of Kerblam!

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 16, 2025 90:36


    Politics, adventure, a McCoy love in, sinister robots, terrorism, love...this one has it all! Paul steps into the Ham Fam and discusses a much undervalued episode...

    The (X) Hamster Files - The Jersey Devil (featuring agent Jack Coyer)

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 14, 2025 58:58


    What happens when Agent Coyer faces his first experience of The X-Files and comes up against Neanderthal woman?

    Talks to Lee, Andy & Cam about their choice of The Mind Robber (5/5)

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 12, 2025 44:50


    It's time to bring this piece of art to an end with a celebration of the many positives about the story, the man positives about Scotland, and the man positives about Subbuteo!

    Talks to Andy, Lee & Cam about their choice of The Mind Robber (4/5)

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 11, 2025 32:00


    Lesson 42! It's time to beat up the Karkus, get trapped in a book and worry about a dollop of foamy spittle at the side of the mouth of a writer of weeklies...

    Hamster Book Club - The Eyeless by Lance Parkin (featuring Kieran Pell)

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 10, 2025 90:11


    A surprisingly bleak, dystopian world with huge things to say about war, weapons of mass destruction, genocide and scientific responsibility...aimed at children?

    Talks to Glenn Fitzgerald about his choice of The Stones of Blood (4/4)

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 9, 2025 39:37


    One of my favourite single episodes to record, beautiful Glenn reminds us of the joys of finding your tribe within Doctor Who fandom and how enriching it can be to your life...

    Talks to Glenn Fitzgerald about his choice of The Stones of Blood (3/4)

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 8, 2025 26:57


    The story takes a massive diversion into domesticity and science fiction as the Doctor and Amelia attempt to reach Romana in Hyperspace...

    The (X) Hamster Files - Conduit (featuring Agent Iain Martin)

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 8, 2025 49:45


    When Ruby goes missing in the woods, her mother becomes obsessed that she has been abducted. Scully is sceptical, but Mulder thinks this might be linked to the disappearance of his sister...

    Strictly Come Hamster - Season 16 (featuring Nathan Bottomley, Toby Hadoke & Ioan Morris)

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 5, 2025 208:48


    Segments, assignments from God, Pirate planets, blood sucking stones, swordplay, giant farting squids and nuclear war! Everything is to play for in this astonishing season of Doctor Who...

    Hamster Book Club - The Sleep of Reason by Martin Day (featuring Michael Mills & Dylan Rees)

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 4, 2025 69:43


    Content Warning - reading contains material pertaining to self harm One of us loved this book, one of us hated it and one of us sat squarely in the middle but doesn't ever want to read another Doctor Who book after this. Can Doctor Who tackle mental health sensitively in prose?

    Hamster Book Club - The Romans (Redux) by Donald Cotton (featuring James Lark)

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 2, 2025 91:06


    The gauntlet has been thrown. A less than favourable episode released on Donald Cotton's books released and James Lark, in a fit of epistolary pique, decides to build a defence for The Romans!

    Talks to Andy, Lee & Cam about their choice of The Mind Robber (3/5)

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 1, 2025 30:09


    It doesn't exist! Our waltz through the Doctor's weirdest, most literate adventure continues. And we discover precisely what Andy is available for by the end of the episode...

    Talks to Lee, Cam & Andy about their choice of The Mind Robber (2/5)

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 28, 2025 37:56


    What fresh madness occurs when this foursome finally reaches The Land of Fiction? What can Joe be taught about football? And will Lee wow us all with his his incredible reading?

    Talks to Glen Fitzgerald about his choice of The Stones of Blood (2/4)

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 27, 2025 28:27


    Sausage sandwiches clamped in our hands, we are facing off against globulin feeding Stones! I know that woman...

    Talks to the Lee, Cam & Andy about their choice of The Mind Robber (1/5)

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 25, 2025 37:23


    This was a delightful, slightly deranged, love in for this quirky, imaginative story. Expect gags, flirting, revealing information and trivia!

    Talks to Glenn Fitzgerald about his choice of The Stones of Blood (1/4)

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 23, 2025 41:50


    Joe meets gorgeous Glenn Fitzgerald in the countryside to have a flask of tea and a sausage sandwich and to chase about with sinister stones...

    Hamster Book Club - The Androids of Tara by David Fisher (featuring David Gillespie-Pratt)

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 22, 2025 79:13


    What has happened to our favourite lines? Fisher rewrites a rewrite and then rewrites Tom Baker's rewrite! But with charming prose, glorious backstory and some brilliant new jokes. A piece of sunshine.

    Strictly Come Hamster - 12th Doctor Finale (featuring Joumana, Frazer, Mark & Dan)

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 20, 2025 164:13


    Four huge Peter Capaldi fans assemble to celebrate and cajole the members of the Ham Fam that say nasty things about their favourite and we battle it out through the runners up and winners to find our favourite 12th Doctor story!

    Talks to Jack Coyer & Steven B about their choice of The Awakening (2/2)

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 18, 2025 81:04


    is this an atmospheric political statement of the time...or just a load of old tosh? Join Joe, Jack & Steven who investigate...

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