Doctor Who: the World Enough and Time podcast

Andy and Alex are in tangential mood as they enter The Space Museum and end up discussing everything between Leek Shows, pop socks, the name Sue, the former Chairman of Tyne Tees Television and Elnett hairspray. Alex suspects South African apartheid overtones and is excited to discover that the writer Glyn Jones is from Durban as it fits her white supremacists Moroks versus the black-clothed Xerons reading. Elsewhere she gives some much needed marketing advice to the Moroks while Andy is disappointed that the Xeron base is not a cool laid-back Beatnik Cafe. All this, Lananeeneenoonoo, Miss Flood and more. Are you teaming today? Its the new thing! We love you - Andy & Alex xxx Artwork by Will Brooks Next Time: Robot

This episode sees Andy make a hugely nostalgic trip back to 1983 and his memories of the events that surrounded the first broadcast of this anniversary special. Elsewhere Alex professes her love for the gold transmat device and learns all about the UNIT dating and Series 6b controversies, while Andy reveals his long-term confusion over the relationship between the Game of Rassilon and The War Games. The pair also ask and attempt to answer many big questions: - Why is Tegan so skilled at fruit platters? - What is the application of pi to the chessboard floor? - Who built the TimeScoop? - Why is the 1st Doctor so disinterested in the Master? - And couldn't Borusa have just transmatted to the Dark Tower and swiped the ring in the first place? There's also a quiz and much more besides. Enjoy! Next Time: The Space Museum

This month Andy and Alex tackle the former's 'birth story' The Sea Devils. As usual, the pair find much to enjoy here but have lots of questions too... How can one take a motorbike or walk ten miles over open country between an island and the mainland? What are the ingredients of kai? Is is easy to drive a hovercraft without any training? and What is in Jo's aubergine handbag? They both struggle with Pertwee at his most pompous, and how here the Doctor is not so very different from the stories other privileged establishment white male characters: Trenchard and Walker. They are also disappointed that more is not made of the obvious parallels with colonialism and the eradication of indigenous people. However, they both 'love a Sea Devil' and appreciate Jo when she gets the chance to be intrepid, even if her cream outfit must have been a nightmare for the continuity people. All this and 'sexing a Sea Devil', capes to wear 'about town', and a detailed analysis of 'Sandwich-Gate'. The episode is peppered with reflections from director Michael E. Briant whose autobiography Andy edited and published back in the day and is still available from Amazon: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Who-Michael-Briant-Memoir-Director/dp/0956100066/ Next Time: The Five Doctors

As Alex and Andy hit 60 episodes they review possibly one of the most bonkers stories in Doctor Who history! The TARDIS is stolen by Leatherman, the Daleks are selling antique victoriana in the 1960s, people keep getting knocked out for no reason and the Daleks are playing trains and making the Doctor dizzy. Yes its Evil of the Daleks! The pair are still at Athelhampton House as they talk about the Daleks denying Victoria her Disney princess moment, problematic Kemel, the incredibly convoluted Dalek-plot to trap the Doctor, and the most unnecessary characters in all of Doctor Who: Arthur Terrall and Ruth Maxtible. Do not feed the flying pests! Next Time: The Sea Devils

No touch pod! Andy & Alex are actually on location at Athelhampton House - Harrison Chase's mansion - for this their review of the Tom Baker classic The Seeds of Doom. Specifically this episode of the podcast was recorded at River Cottage, THE 'cottage under siege' where Keeler also transformed into a Krynoid. They find much to enjoy here including the Doctor's anti-establishment behaviour, his wonderful relationship with Sarah - a Doctor and companion team at the very height of their powers, and a wondrous supporting cast including, of course, Tony Beckley, John Challis and Sylvia Coleridge. Along the way they question whether Harrison Chase hates plant-eaters more than meat-eaters, whether its inimical or inimicable (it's both if you look at the script), and whether Chase actually has sexual communion with the big Krynoid? Although like the Doctor they do so hate guided tours, they finish the episode ahead of a private guided tour of Athelhampton sadly without any Floriana requiem. Next Time: Evil of the Daleks

In this month's episode Andy & Alex stick with the 3rd Doctor era and review another story that they know incredibly well due to its early release on VHS: Terry Nation's Death to the Daleks. As well as highlighting their favourite moments, they consider how they felt about the story back in the late Eighties compared to now. As usual they also find themselves asking a lot of questions: - Who compiles the 700 Wonders of the Universe? - Why does Julian Fox (Hamilton) have such huge eyebags? - How would you go about synthesising parrinium? - Does 10 million people really constitute a galaxy-wide plague (its only the population of Sweden!)? - and What did Michael E. Briant do immediately after recording the BBC DVD audio commentary for this story? Alex also contemplates writing a spin-off called 'Space Chums!' and worries if World Enough and Time has gone a bit South Bank Show, while Andy argues that this story is a template for Hinchcliffe Who and foxes Alex with a quiz called UNIT or UNOT. Along the way they also re-examine the relationship between the 3rd Doctor and Sarah, have a Bellal love-in, and contemplate how prescient the story is to due to its out-of-control AI city. All this and sitting on Cy Town's lap too! We love you! Andy & Alex xxx Next Time: The Seeds of Doom

We've been on a bit more than a summer break, but we're back and its about (World Enough and) Time... This month we go back to our roots and the very first story we covered on the podcast way back in 2017: Spearhead from Space. We archived that episode as the sound quality was terrible, but also because we didn't really do this seminal Pertwee classic justice. This time around its a proper deep dive as we talk about stuff we've not thought about before, despite knowing this story inside out: - The geography of the story: where is Oxley Woods in relation to Ashbridge Cottage Hospital and indeed AutoPlastics? And are any of those near Epping? - How automated is the Plastics Factory and why is Ransome's doll so special? - Is the 'Doctors Only' sign sexist? - Is this the worst ever exhibition at Madame Tussauds? - Does the Doctor drop calling Liz Doctor as a power move? - And our own twist on 'Gay or European?': 'Auton or sweaty?' All this, Louise Jameson, an argument about better stories than Spearhead, and a Companions quiz. What else could you possibly need? We love you (and we're very glad to be back)! Andy & Alex xxx Next Time: Death to the Daleks

It's a far worse thing we do now than we have ever done on the podcast… yes, that's right, we're going to review The Ultimate Foe. Revisionist agendas and the recent release of the season on Blu-Ray has done little to persuade Andy & Alex of the value of this pantomime-esque runaround which receives their lowest score yet. Andy is incandescent with rage at the Inquisitor who he argues is the most insane person in the history of the series, while Alex's fury is reserved for the script by good ol' Pip n' Jane. Treasure chests of plastic gold, legs waving in the air, megabyte modems, things that are declared to be real and not real at whim, lots of sitting down. All this and the catharsis of spurious morality makes Roland Rat: The Series (which immediately preceded it on BBC1 broadcast) look like high art. Enter the Fantasy Factory at your peril! Next Time: (after a summer break) Spearhead from Space.

It's time to go back to the heady days of 1982 when Cybermen were cool, death was shocking and the Fifth Doctor was serving as a proxy father to three children. Yes it's Eric Saward's game-changing blockbuster Earthshock. There's no denying that it blew Andy away as a kid but how does he feel about it now? And what does Alex make of this ‘Davison classic'? As usual, many questions abound: ‘Are all of Barbara's clothes still in the TARDIS?'; ‘Why do some death screams sound like choir practice?'; And most importantly ‘Is Beryl Reid good casting as Briggs?'. All this and much more… Andy recounts going to the funeral of ‘Anne Funeral' where he met an Earthshock trooper; Alex makes the joyful discovery that she is wearing ‘thermal lance' coloured toe-nail polish; and the pair both share their knowledge of conference room stationery and chair dresses. It's quite a ride! In respectful homage to Adric we don't play any end credit music. It's not a glitch. Next Time: The Ultimate Foe [Artwork: Alister Pearson]

Hellooooooo! (as an Earth high minister might say to the survivors of an apocalypse). This month Andy & Alex are sat back on tranquiller couches taking condign action as they marvel at the glory that is The Ark in Space. As well as uncovering information that is new to them, such as the fact that Vira was originally meant to be a POC and Nerva's menfolk were intended to be in short shorts, they take a nostalgic sojourn through moments from a story they have known and loved for the past 30 plus years. Andy traces his 90's chauvinism to the phrase 'Good girl Sarah!', while Alex just loves Harry's talk of 'Pompey barracks'. As she sagely declares: 'Every line is part of who we've become.' Other topics of discussion include both Vira's trolley and her medkit, the colour flashes on the Nerva trousersuits, Wirrn pubes, that infamous missing scene, and the perfect storm that is this TARDIS team. Elsewhere, Lou is decoupaging everything in sight, the quiz involves working titles, Alex is watching Bones, and Andy wants 3 hours of his life back for watching half of The Rig. No. Do not move. It is dangerous to move from the tranquiller couch. Next Time: Earthshock

Andy and Alex are still together in Auckland so in a 'High Cockalorum' mood. Will 1983's Frontios prove to be downer? After sharing their new Myers-Briggs types and a story titles quiz that quite frankly stumps them, the pair get into it. They find much to enjoy here, especially Janet's pleather mini and the opening TARDIS scene, but it's not long before gender inequality, script and direction and a sudden obsession with the non-interference of Timelords start to colour their view. They have lots of important questions too... - Is the Doctor's relationship with Tegan abusive? - Why is the story so intent on portraying Turlough's bravery? - And why is there exposed soil in every single room on Frontios? And some less important ones... - How much soil did Tegan get in her knickers when being dragged along? - How did the guy playing Cockerill get cast? - And who the hell is the woman who shouts 'Mr Range'? Who is she? Who is she? Where did you find her?! All this and so much more in your fabulous fun-filled frolicsome February World Enough and Time! Next Episode: The Ark in Space

In this first episode of 2023 - Happy New Year! - Andy and Alex are reunited in Auckland, New Zealand and finally sit side-by-side again while watching and podding about Who. They choose a cosy favourite - Elisabeth Sladen's swansong The Hand of Fear. But will the story live up to the pressure of being the first they've watched together since 2019? Alex is quick to question whether Watson should be shouting the odds and whether he'll keep his job after the, erm, 'firing missiles at a nuclear reactor' incident, while Andy is amazed that Kastrian electrics are good enough to last 150 million years. Both are keen to understand Eldrad's original plan to go back in time in the TARDIS. Is it to stop themselves from being obliterated, and, if so, wouldn't there be two Eldrads? We also learn a lot about a couple of supporting characters who don't make it on screen: Loreen Watson and Mary Ann Driscoll. While IRL Andy muses when exactly Tom Baker dated the story's make-up artist Judy Neame. Elsewhere Alex details The Curse of Dungarees, there's an 80s Master quiz and Lou Jameson just ‘wants to be'. All this and an acapella rendition of The Sandman. With this 52nd episode we are really spoiling you. Next Time: Frontios

Is it hot in here or are we just in a parallel universe? Andy & Alex uncover sexual metaphor aplenty as they grab Greg's huge pipe, experience a dodgy flange, and get all angry (and hairy) as they reach Penetration Zero. To say nothing of Benton drilling his troops. Yes, its Inferno, that highly-regarded Season 7 story which warns of the dangers of fracking, patriarchal arrogance, and of smearing green goo on your face. The pair agree that there is much to enjoy here but both declare that unlike parallel Liz, Greg and Petra they wouldn't risk their lives to save parallel Andy and Alex. As Alex succinctly puts it: ‘Parallel Alex can go f*** herself!' They also muse that a better name for the project would have been the 'Entirely Safe' project rather than 'Inferno'! They also discover that Stahlman means Man of Steel, that giant name badges are very much on trend, and that Doctor Who is very good at chronicling society's changing relationship with computers. See! We can be serious sometimes. Elsewhere we find out that Louise Jameson has taken up shitsu massage (or is that shiatsu?) and the Time Space Visualiser is on the brink. All this and Sean Maguire and Lulu too. Quiet at the back, Alex is undertaking a complex scientific task! Next Time: The Hand of Fear

It's our 50th episode! To celebrate our golden jubilee we have a quick look back through our podcast archives to dig out some of our favourite and silly moments from the past 4 years. Surprise guests include: @hannahbeeblogs, Kieran Hodgson off Two Doors Down, and the Cailleach! Elsewhere, Nightmare of Eden and Invasion of the Dinosaurs are in the Time-Space Visualiser and the quiz focuses on the life and times of Nicholas Courtney in 'Courtney or Court-nay'. We also review the missing Hartnell historical Marco Polo. Alex has unwisely watched it all in one sitting, while Andy relied on a gatefold LP and Lou & Lalla acting out the entire story in a specially constructed pergola in his back garden while swigging back elderflower presse in straw hats. Several fascinating matters are also discussed in relation to early Who. While Alex suggests that John Lucarotti might actually have nicked Marco Polo due to his preference for radio, Andy recounts what may be the most important Doctor Who memo of all time, written by the director of episode 4 (The Wall of Lies) John Crockett. Andy also reminisces about the time he was almost found in contempt of court and Alex obsesses about horses and distances again. Yes it's exactly what you might expect from an episode of World Enough and Time, only a bit longer than usual - some might say bumper - and a bit more gilt-edged. See the finish! Enjoy! We love you. Andy & Alex xxx Next Time: Inferno (gosh!) Photo colourised and restored by Clayton Hickman.

It's hard not to be disappointed by The Armageddon Factor, but Andy and Alex do their very best to find the good in it. While Andy is intrigued by the original script Alex remembers the wonder of convention video rooms. The bottom line though is that if you're counting the number of transmats or finding joy in the squeak of a supporting character then there's something wrong with the story at hand. Elsewhere there's a very topical quiz, while the Time-Space Visualiser gives us The Greatest Show in the Galaxy and, appropriately enough, The Chase! Next TIme: Marco Polo (our 50th episode!)

Andy & Alex return from their summer break on Florana and join the Doctor and Romana holidaying in Brighton ahead of their visit to The Leisure Hive. Along the way they discuss why the Argolin should wear hats, the blatant scarfography in the story and the embarrassment that was Andy's mid-90s email signature. Elsewhere Andy explains the 'Tachnyonic Creative Moment', which begat Pangol, chiefly to wind Alex up and it works like a charm, while Alex remembers the horror that was 'the Clickers'. There's also a quiz and The Brain of Morbius and Survival feature in the Time-Space Visualiser. We hope you enjoy our latest pod xxx Next Time: The Armageddon Factor

Andy and Alex explore what has been called the most missing of Hartnells, The Savages, and find plenty to talk about. Why does Steven perpetually gaslight Dodo and why do Who fans not talk about it? What exactly are the Elders actually extracting from their victims and what is left behind? And, most importantly of all, who would have been a far better candidate to lead the troubled people of this planet? Andy was lucky enough to watch Josh Snares brilliant telesnap restored Episode 1 and the Loose Cannon animations while Alex experiences the fever dream that is a cartoon version of episode 4 in which everyone looks like Ian Chesterton, Dodo has been, er, enhanced, and Steven appears to have taken up ballet. Elsewhere, the Time-Space Visualiser has had an upgrade courtesy of Spotify and can only now play extracts from classic Doctor Who episodes, while this month's quiz answers all begin with the letter Z. Thanks to the wonderfully named Nanina we also have several guest appearances from 90s pop starlet Whigfield. Nanina also inspires us to discuss when Kerry Bishop got killed at a duck shoot in Neighbours and from there we also get to Joe Mangel's time on Dancing On Ice. This month's cover image was lovingly restored and colourised by Clayton Hickman and is reproduced here with his permission. Thanks for listening lovely people. Next Time: The Leisure Hive

Andy and Alex celebrate the very first Doctor Who anniversary special and as usual pose many burning questions: What would Omega wear during lockdown? What is an alternative name for a horse blanket? And Where does Jon Pertwee end and the Third Doctor begin? While Andy notes just how much of the story Terrance of Dicks nicked for The Five Doctors, Alex is thrilled to see black goose neck taps in the UNIT lab. She also leaves Andy no choice but to join the Gellguard Defence League. Join today! Elsewhere there's Michael Aspel, C&A, Littlewoods and a touch of Osmonds-mania. All life is here! Next Time: The Savages

Andy and Alex stumble on a galax-ident (that's a galaxy accident to the uninitiated) waiting to happen - the William Hartnell tale The Ark. They find much to enjoy in this H G Wells inspired story and it prompts them to discuss racism, slavery and even long-COVID. Along the way they ask ALL the important questions: Why are the Refusians so keen to be colonised? Is miniaturisation fair punishment for leaving a valve open? And is genocide ever splendid? Also we really want to know why there's a drawing of a double-headed unicorn in the Ark's jungle?. Please do write in and let us know your thoughts (i.e. tweet). As usual there's quiz, this time from The Third Doctor Who Quiz Book, and musical shenanigans on the Time-Space Visualiser. Next Time: The Three Doctors (The excerpt at the start of this episode is from Paul Erickson's novelisation of The Ark).

This month's story prompts Alex to remember what can only be described as 'a day of nicking' back in 1993. And having bravely shoplifted the story she can't help but feel a greater investment in this particular Davison adventure. There is much talk of Liza Goddard (and Lionel Blair), the blond one from Kajagoogoo, and what Nyssa had for breakfast. All in all its so 1983 it hurts. There's 2 tracks from the chart in the weeks that Terminus was broadcast, over the knee thigh boots, and more blusher than you can shake a stick at. As usual, the pair ask and answer some important questions: Why is no-one surprised that Terminus has time travel capability? Where are all the Lazars who survived? Why is the plague ship so grimly decorated? Why does Tegan call a crowbar a prybar? And are any of the Lazars lezers? They agree that the Garm is super cute and that Bor is one of the best supporting characters ever to grace the series, but they are much less enamoured with the Black Guardian bits and all the ducting. And as they hurtle towards a conclusion they agree that Nyssa's likely fate after the TARDIS leaves is very dark indeed. But it's not all grey and beige, as they discuss in a bumper Dressed for Success segment. The perfect moment for Andy to explain why he has a sexy Robin Hood outfit. it's high time Terminus was reappraised and this podcasting duo are primed and ready. We love you all. Next Time: The Ark

Andy and Alex find Paradise Towers in a state of disarray. Despite their best intentions to build high for happiness, they are confronted by inconsistent world-building, over-acting, and, worst of all, toxic masculinity. Has anything changed for the pair since their first watch of this early McCoy at the ages of 15 and 9 respectively? Did it prompt Andy to regret the decision he took a few short weeks earlier to cancel his Doctor Who Magazine subscription? And just how much did the young Alex enjoy Bonnie's outfit? All this and plenty of discussion about cannibalism, squirty cream, and weird triangular splashbacks. Elsewhere The Pet Shops Boys and Dusty Springfield, and Kylie Minogue get us grooving like science teachers in front of the Time-Space Visualiser and Alex has a quiz beginning with the letter B. Please remember: No flyposts. No ball games. Thank you please. Next Time: Terminus

It's 2022 and Andy and Alex celebrate the fact that its 30 years (30!) since The Tomb of the Cybermen was returned to the archives. Well they don't exactly celebrate this as I've only just worked it out for these episode notes but it's a neat milestone all the same. During proceedings Alex orders 'a bottle of a bottle', Andy fails to print his podcast notes, and a robin in a black cagoole causes a commotion. When it comes to talking Tomb, Andy pronounces Telos correctly and vociferously defends Victoria, Alex calmly explains why none of Doctor Who should be cancelled, and there's a long tale of Shirley Cooklin (Kaftan) getting a little pissed off at a funeral. Elsewhere, this month's quiz is ‘Tomb or Boom', RuPaul and (appropriately enough) The Beatles feature on the Time-Space Visualiser, and there's even a little contemporary Flux-based discussion. More importantly than any of the above neither Alex of Andy are wearing orange underwear as they will explain! The more knowledgeable Who fans will realise that I get the Denise Buckley story wrong. In fact, Alex is dead right that the re-casting of Victoria was to do with Pauline Collins. Oh well. Not quite seamless in post. Happy New Year to you our lovely listeners. Next Time: Probably a McCoy. (This episode's opening words are from the prologue of Gerry Davis's novelisation of Tomb)

After a brief hiatus - they got caught in a time eddy - Andy and Alex return to tackle Andy's favourite story of all time: Pyramids of Mars. It's a story they first watched at a chimney sweep's house in North Northumberland in the mid-Eighties (the chimney sweep was one of the few villagers with a video player!). Andy feels Pyramids is part of his very being and is regularly reduced to just making noises that express his love for the story while Alex muses that between them they must have watched it over a 100 times! Along the way Andy tells the story of what happened to him in the Tomb of Tuthmosis III, remembers organ music at Manopticon 1994, and details what 'isomorphic controls' refers to in his house. Alex meanwhile is reminded of the work of Sylvain Neuvel, recalls buying canopic jars from China, and explains how she completely identifies with Sutekh's fury while trying to crochet! The pair also share their fear of free-flowing jazz and agree that Horus' puzzles are a bit shit. They also ask whether this adventure should really be called Pyramid of Mars singular. Controversial! Musical stylings are provided by Fuzzbox and Minnie Ripperton. There's an unlikely pairing for you. Until next time...

This extra episode is an interview with the wonderful Neil Cole, curator and custodian of the Museum of Classic Science-Fi in Northumberland, recorded during my hols last week. We talked about how the museum came to be, his long off-and-on relationship with The Garm (from Terminus), the sourcing of his beloved Galsec rifle (from The Sontaran Experiment), restoration of a Cheetah person (from Survival), and how he came to have the terrifying Broton, leader of the Zygons (from Terror of the Zygons) in the museum. I also heavily tease a brand new and thrilling exhibit that will be revealed on Neil's Facebook pages soon, that I was lucky enough to see being unboxed while I was there. My only regret was that my irrepressible co-host Alex was not with me too! Neil is a genuinely lovely guy and it would be great if you can support him and the museum by visiting, becoming a patron, or just liking his Facebook page: The Museum's Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/neilcoleadventuresinscifimuseum Become a patron: https://www.patreon.com/themuseumofclassicscifi Museum website: https://www.museumofclassicsci-fi.com

Join Alex and Andy as they travel to Lanzarote (or is it Sarn?) for the penultimate Davison story Planet of Fire. What will they make of Peri's entrance and Turlough's exit? Why is this month's Dressed for Success such a bumper segment? How exactly does the Trion prison planet system work and was Sarn (or is it Lanzarote?) ever fertile? And if so, why? Elsewhere the return of the 'Planet or Planot' quiz has a Blake's 7 twist and the Time Space Visualiser takes us back to 1984 and the present day. Happy 'Boobs and Budgie Smugglers Sunday' to you all! Don't miss our extra episode released today at 9am: an interview with Neil Cole, curator of the amazing Museum of Classic Sci-Fi which boasts a truly wondrous range of Doctor Who exhibits.

It's joyful for Andy to be reunited with Alex again in their joint podcasting endeavour to watch and critique all of classic Doctor Who. The story is the Season 2 finale The Time Meddler which sees a new TARDIS crew and an unforgettable guest star in Peter Butterworth as The Meddling Monk. But before we get to the time meddling there's a quiz on Prehistoric Monsters in Doctor Who and some Adventures in History. While the Time-Space Visualiser favours Malta's recent Eurovision entry and a 1965 classic made more familiar by sketch show Smack the Pony (although Andy forgot this while recording). And onto the shenanigans in Northumbria... where Edith's obsession with feeding visitors doesn't go unnoticed and the glorious reveal of the Monk's TARDIS is celebrated. Despite being something of a purist Andy watched the story in colour and felt it added considerable interest to a story that had never really engaged him before. He also goes on about the Danelaw and how the Vikings were already settled in England in 1066 while Alex feels the Dressed for Success cupboard is pretty bare. All this and Babs Windsor in Crooks in Cloisters too! Why not join us for a heck of a lot of monkery, blackberries and venison? Next Time: Planet of Fire

It's 1971 and Doctor Who is being reinvented for its 8th season! New companion! New recurring villain! New Autons! But what do Alex and Andy make of it? While there is much love for a particular stunt sequence and the horribly decorated interior of Rossini's grubby caravan, the pair struggle to like the story and reflect on why it might be that they've only watched it a few times. They have questions too. Boy, do they have questions! Why does Farrell merely 'not take to The Master' when he raised his arm to thump him? What would adults do with that troll doll? And why does The Master suddenly give up his entire plan?! Let's not even mention that Morse Code sequence. Along the way they make sidesteps into The Brothers and Blue Peter and as usual there's a jolly quiz, trips back into musical yesteryears courtesy of the Time-Space Visualiser, and for the first time the story is scored by the 'TARDISes out of 10' metric. So go make yourself a cup of coffee in your CSO kitchen and prepare to cosy up for some classic Who podcastery. Next Time: The Time Meddler

Andy and Alex fall in love with Doctor Who all over again when they watch the first instalment of the Key to Time season. Andy takes us back to a dark time before even the Doctor Who Programme Guide existed while Alex is as happy as a 'babbit in the springtime' when she clocks Romana's boots. The con is on and these classic Doctor Who podcasters are here for it. Elsewhere Alex is almost on topic for the Time Space Visualiser, and the Quiz is a co-op focusing on the adventures of the Third Doctor. All this and The Pottery Throw Down, Hunted, Schitts Creek and the second series of Ru Paul's Drag Race UK. You better werk! Next Time: Terror of the Autons

This month Andy and Alex turn their attention to another animated Troughton tale. While Andy shares his love of the cosy Harris residence and its Broken Sword-esque dinette, Alex gets on board with Robson's frustration at Harris's University education. Elsewhere they uncover the most often repeated phrase in the story, the gift of jumpsuits and the criminally hidden gem that is Megan Jones. All this and two quizzes (count 'em!) as well as two more spins on The Time-Space Visualiser. What more could you want? Come and get your hot and foamy dinghy action! You came for Victoria's swan-song, you'll leave wishing their had been an extra episode set at an out of town retail centre where everyone went bowling. Thank you please and kind regards. Next Time: The Ribos Operation

Alex and Andy watch the partially lost Troughton adventure The Faceless Ones. While Andy realises that there's more to this story than crouching beside aircraft wheels, Alex cottons on that this isn't Ben's first story! Although they find much to enjoy here: Pauline Collins, the postcard plot, and clappy music to name just three, Ales and Andy admit to being confused by the Chameleons plan, but are pleased that one of them at least gets to visit Dubrovnik and other European cities in order to pursue their dastardly goals. Kilts are discussed in some detail and there are tangential excursions to the BSB Doctor Who Weekend, BDO World Darts, Dimensions in Time and Upstairs Downstairs. In the quiz Alex has to guess Gold or Silver, while the Time-Space Visualiser offers The Motors and Deacon Blue on its teeny tiny black and white screen. Although they both watched different formats of the story ahead of this podcast the pair still put out a call for yet another format: the bananimated version - where bananas replace the cast. Who wouldn't want to see that?! Next Time: Something Hartnell this way comes (William not Norman).

Happy New Year! Yes, its our first episode of 2021 in which we explore the Season 21 opener Warriors of the Deep. We are very pleased to be joined by the very lovely Martin (Andrew Ward) Holmes (Andy's 'A to Z of UK TV Drama' podcast co-host) as we hold forth on the much anticipated - well in 1984 - return of the Silurians and the Sea Devils. It is probably fair to say that we are all a bit underwhelmed by proceedings but we gamely attempt a fair critique of this oddly linear story which is essentially Earthshock Under The Sea. After a short period of orientation, there is much discussion of eyeshadow, jumpsuits and arch villainy and more Sea Devil impressions than you could shake a stick at. We also wheel out the Time Space Visualiser for a seasonally topical song chosen by Andy, a story de jour topical song chosen by Martin, and a random song chosen by Alex. And there's a 5th Doctor quiz from a battered copy of The Third Doctor Who Quiz Book. We hope 2021 brings you more joy than last year and that you enjoy the new Jodie episode this evening. Ta ta, Andy, Alex & Martin x Next Time: The Faceless Ones

The Christmas Special that very nearly wasn't! After losing most of our first recording of this episode - ironic given the episode we were reviewing is the most missing Doctor Who episode of them all - we proceeded undaunted and re-recorded our thoughts on this the first Doctor Who Christmas Special: episode 7 of The Daleks' Master Plan - The Feast of Steven. Along the way - thanks to the Time-Space Visualiser - we play some Christmas tunes, consider the Christmas of 1965, try out our Scouse accents, rail against everyday Sixties sexism and racism, and ultimately decide that we would like to spend our Christmas with a Dalek rather than the non-Z Cars policeman or the Hollywood crazies the regulars meet in this episode. Incidentally, a Happy Christmas to all of you at home - very much at home this year. May you have comfort, joy, green Fanny Cradock mashed potatoes, and as much Terry's Chocolate Orange as you want. Music from: The Waitresses, Kim Appleby and The Go Go's (not those ones). We highly recommend Gavin Rymill's excellent video on the behind-the-scenes story of The Feast of Steven: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PD3JyJvjr8A We will return on New Year's Day with... Warriors of the Deep (gasp!)

In this episode Alex and Andy go right back to the first series of Doctor Who as the original TARDIS crew encounter The Sensorites. They enjoy Susan’s new-found strength but are aghast at the Doctor’s reaction. Andy shares his weird Ilona Rodgers coincidence which in turn prompts a guest appearance from Prisoner Cell Block H’s ‘The Freak’, while Alex reveals how disturbing it is when people try out an alternative pronunciation of the word ‘meme’. Elsewhere they go off on tangents as per, taking in Roy Kinnear’s likely presence on the Sense-Sphere, whether it’s OK to give Doctor Who companion actors shortened nicknames with lots of Zeds (Mazza Tazza, Lazza Wazza, Sazza Suzza), and the dire need for a Red Bubble t-shirt from Clayton Hickman with Susan and her line ‘I Won’t Be Pushed Aside!” Also, the Cailleach has departed and is rather unceremoniously replaced immediately with a new segment: a Time-Space Visualiser that Andy has built in his study, but which can only show archive music programmes, which helps us find out what the kids were getting down to when The Sensorites first aired. There’s also a New Who quiz in which Andy endeavours to score more than Alex. All this and an interview with Mr Martin Holmes who was born during The Sensorites and considers the possibility of Sensorite-mania had this story aired 2nd rather than 7th. Don’t you remember the legendary Sensorite Christmas of 1964, during which everyone was shoving dinner plates down their tights?! Next Time: Warriors’ Gate

A special extra episode of the pod in which Andy interviews Phoenix Andrews co-author of BBC Books' The Monster Vault (with Jonathan Morris). As well as asking all the important questions (such as: Daleks or Cybermen?), Andy finds out how Phoenix became involved in the project, how it was written during the pandemic and some of their favourite entires in the book. He also shares his own favourite nuggets from the tome: how the Ogri move, why Davros created the Giant Clams, and whether it was actually the Rills who shot first! Along the way the pair discuss fandom, the 'not my Doctor' idiots, which monsters should return next series, and why no-one has yet written a story in which Wirrn endlessly topple out of cupboards. You should all buy at least 1 copy of the book, not only because we should be massively supporting creative types in these dark times, but also because The Monster Vault is just gorgeous.

Andy and Alex get all nostalgic this month as they look back at one of the very first Who videos they owned and watched a gazillion times back in the day: the glorious Revenge of the Cybermen. Although it has plot-holes you could drive a cute little Vogan cave-train through, they heap praise on this often maligned story for its pace, its music (yes its music!), its characterisation, but, most of all, the performances of the regulars who arguably make one of the best TARDIS teams ever. As well as detailing his encounter with the Cyberleader (Christopher Robbie) himself, in Loughborough of all places, Andy plugs the excellent memoir of 'Revenge's' director Michael E. Briant, which he himself commissioned and published a few years ago. It can be purchased at a special price of just £5 until the end of the year from http://www.classictvpress.co.uk. Its a beautiful tome - lots of stars from Doctor Who Magazine, either 4 or 4.5 out of 5, Andy can't remember - and Michael writes chapters on each and every one of his Who stories including those on which he worked before he was a director. Advert over. As well as their emphatically upbeat review of the story, there's a 4th Doctor quiz from the Second Doctor Who Quiz Book, the very last appearance of the Cailleach, Mark Gatiss being hilarious, and consideration of the fact that Alex's cat should probably be called Victoria and not Leela, due to her lack of Sevateem-esque abilities. Enjoy! We love you all. Next Time: The Sensorites

In our 30th episode we travel back to 1966 and even further back to Culloden Moor for a tale of Jacobite intrigue which continues to flesh out the newly regenerated Second Doctor and introduces everyone's favourite piper: Jamie McCrimmon. Neither Andy or Alex were familiar with the story but find much here to enjoy despite all the terrible accents and the oooh-arrghhhing of the stereotypical Trask. Polly comes under fire, the Doctor's character goes under the microscope and the fact that this is the last pure historical until Black Orchid is discussed. However, the biggest question remains 'What in the world is Hannah Gordon doing to the Laird in *that* telesnap?!' As usual there is time to stray beyond Doctor Who, this time into Dynasty and the film Working Girl. And of course there's the Cailleach and a quiz on the introductory lines of Target novelisations. Enjoy! We love you xxx Next Time: Revenge of the Cybermen Big thanks to Clayton Hickman for the photo colourisation.

Andy and Alex find themselves on a truly surprising journey of discovery as they explore that classy Season 14 opener The Masque of Mandragora. The surprise chiefly comes in the form of their special guest, elder sister Anna, who has so much knowledge about the story that her siblings start to believe that she is a much bigger fan of Doctor Who than she has ever let on. Not only does Anna provide a Doctor Who plant-based quiz entitled Nature of Noture during which she shows her sneaky side, but she also turns out to be something of an expert on the careers of Gareth Armstrong and Norman Jones. Who knew? Their review of Masque considers the geography of the temple and the catacombs, the hair and wigs in display, minor supporting cast members and a rather too action-oriented Doctor. There is also dismay at Elisabeth Sladen's role in proceedings and the lack of women in general. All this and an 'Is Astrology bollocks?' section. We are just too good to you! You can follow Anna on Twitter at @annagoge. And who knows she might return one day with all her many facts. We love you. Next time: The Highlanders

It's back to those heady days of 1986 where news of Bonnie Langford's casting devastated Andy, and even 8-year-old Alex understood what a terrible threat to Doctor Who this irrepressible endlessly tap-dancing stage-school screamer posed. But what did they make of Mel's debut then and now? Alongside this debate (there is no debate dear listener just resigned horror) they consider the purpose of a Judas Goat, the satiable curiosity of the Elephant's Child and that playground favourite 'On with the Motley'. Oh do f*** off Pip 'n' Jane. As well as musing on the Hyperion 3's curious policy of incinerating all laundry and the miraculous properties of headphones that have not been plugged in, the Doctor's perplexing choice of this adventure as a defence of his peripatetic peregrinations is unequivocally interrogated. See! Anyone can use a f***ing thesaurus. Elsewhere, Alex still has trouble understanding what a 'bridge' is in sci-fi, we receive a fleeting visit from the Cailleach and the Wee Papa Girl Rappers, and Alex subjects Andy to another bout of his favourite quiz game (not his favourite quiz game). Entirely unavoidable swearing throughout. Next Time: The Masque of Mandragora

Andy and Alex are feeling 'a bit umpty' after their rewatch of the highly regarded Pertwee four-parter Carnival of Monsters. They have searching questions about an anachronistic dinosaur, if the disappearance of the SS Bernice remains a mystery, and whether the Doctor ever did lobby for the banning of miniscopes. As well as requesting more Ogrons and Cybermen and better attention to scale, they also give you valuable advice on how to order pizza without mince in the Netherlands and explain their frisson of excitement at the prospect of eating Elizabeth Shaw mints. In addition to the above, the Cailleach actually brings some joy to proceedings for a change, while in the quiz Andy tasks Alex to decide on 'Pertwee or Pertwaddle'. Its all happenin' kids! Now don't twist that aggrometer too high. Shit! Too late. Next Time: Terror of the Vervoids (and definitely not Trial of a Timelord parts 9 to 12)

Alex and Andy hurtle through a Charged Vacuum Emboitement to enjoy the 1980 vampire-themed classic State of Decay. They revel in the clash of science and gothic horror, the relationship between the Doctor and Romana, and the intentional theatricality of the Three Who Rule. Elsewhere, we spoil you with no less than two quizzes. Two! While the Cailleach asks if they are going to do the accent or not, Along the way Alex admits to her love of Veronica Mars, Andy reveals his unreasonable hatred of the family in Back in Time for the Cornershop. And they both tell a tale of stalking Adric by bus in Blackpool. Honestly! All life is here. We love you! Next Time: Not sure yet to be honest!

In their 25th episode Alex & Andy hurtle back to 1982 to the jungle paradise of Deva Loka where mystery boxes shouldn't be opened, you can't mend people and Nerys Hughes is practically perfect in every way. In Kinda they find much to enjoy and reflect on its first broadcast in 1982 and its repeat in 1983 as well as how they feel it stands up today. There's even a recording of a 4-year-old Alex singing along to theme tune and taking the piss out of Hindle which is worth the admission price* alone. (*Our podcast is entirely free!) Along the way they share their experiences of Doctor Who fandom and conventions. decide that Buddhism is the best religion, slag off Lou Beale and make passing references to all manner of televisual gems, including Play School, Timeslip and The Adventure Game. All this, plus the usual quiz and a visit from the Cailleach which prompts praise of Series 12, especially of the Timeless Children finale. This bumper 2-hour episode was recorded well before the world as we currently know it, so its wonderfully absent of you know what talk. Stay safe everyone. We love you xxx

Episode 24 sees Andy and Alex Gond joined once again by Brian Gond as they talk about Robert Holmes first Doctor Who story The Krotons. Andy remembers his first experience of it during the Five Faces of Doctor Who season in 1981, while Alex recalls the video release. Brian meanwhile just makes Kroton noises. As ever, various important questions are asked: Who is the Grumpy Elf? Why is Episode 1 so darn cosy? And, why didn't the Krotons accelerate the Gonds learning much earlier? Along the way there's a quiz for which Andy and Alex join forces, a struggle to come up with a planet that might be an anagram of Athens, and a debate about the correct spelling of Gravitron. It's Gravitron.

Hurtling back in time to November 1988, our 23rd episode sees us tackle the controversial 25th anniversary story Silver Nemesis and ask ourselves whether the poor reputation of the story is fair. Along the way we ask A LOT of questions such as: Why is Ace so scared after a picnic? Who planted the gas canisters? Who lit all the candles in the crypt? Why does anyone ever trust the Cybermen? Did the Doctor really kickstart both the First and Second World Wars? and What the heck is anyone's plan in this story? We decide that you can ride a horse through this story's plotholes, but there is some debate as to whether we can do it in the same time it takes to get to Windsor from London! Elsewhere we have a quiz about unmade Troughton tales in which Alex must decide 'Trought-on' or 'Trought-off' and Andy has a prescient moment when he predicts the appearance of the Cailleach/crows in a future Season 12 episode before Praxeus aired. All this and Nazis, Kellman's hair, unadulterated hatred of jazz, and Alex's tenuous and entirely untrue Silver Nemesis claim to fame. Enjoy. We love you all. Andy & Alex xxx Next Time: The Krotons!

In our 22nd episode we review the 1979 sequel to Genesis of the Daleks with a new Romana, a new Davros and, of course, the Movellans! Oh how much do we love the Movellans?! Honestly 'Movellan love-fest' would probably be a more appropriate title for this episode. What else do we learn from this instalment? That, some quizzes are a bit shit. That Andy doesn't know who directed The Brain of Morbius! I know! And that Tawny Sands may not be acting any more. Who is Tawny Sands? Fear not, you'll find out. We also turn our attention to where and how Reality Bomb's Graeme Burk listens to our podcast, that we should NEVER be invited to anyone's house to play Dungeons and Dragons, and the delightful tale of how Pennant Roberts was once tricked into re-hiring June Hudson. All this and Big Ron too. We love you. Andy & Alex xxx

In our first episode of this new decade (gosh!)Alex and Andy adventurously start to explore the world of missing Doctor Who, beginning with the 1965 Hartnell historical The Myth Makers. Along the way they consider tragicomedy, Shakespearean overtones, Vicki's exit, artifice, horse fetlocks, and why Bill Hartnell was in such a bad mood throughout! And - newsflash - they actually work the latter out. And it has nothing to do with Max Adrian being gay or Jewish, so there! Andy is a self-confessed 'Myth Makers nut', while Alex struggles to feel the story is hers, but they both agree that there's a great deal of fun to be had in this missing chapter of early Who. As well as their review of The Myth Makers they are also visited by the Cailleach, play the 'Jack or Jill' quiz and worry whether the new BBC adaptation of His Dark Materials will pronounce Mrs Coulter's name correctly. Happy New Year and happy new Jodie Who day! We love you all, Andy and Alex xxx

In our twentieth episode Alex and Andy are side-by-side again in NZ due to circumstances that neither would have wished for. Thanks to everyone who sent messages of love and support after hearing about Alex's car accident. She is now well on the road to recovery. Towards the end of my time there Al decided she was well enough to record an episode, so here it is. Our focus du jour is Vengeance on Varos, arguably one of of Colin Baker's finest stories. As we assess its value we reflect on the parallels with UK politics and the binary nature of the world we currently live in, the quality of the supporting cast, the guys in the nappies, the use of fear tropes, and whether Alex was ever the intended audience for Doctor Who? Along the way we find time to sidestep into Miss Marple, Harry Hill's badger parade and that cosy family film Swallows and Amazons, all of which have significant ties to this story. Ok, not that significant, one of them is particularly tenuous! As well as the Cailleach, a quotes quiz and Dressed for Success we introduce a new segment 'Claim to Fame'. Gosh! What are you going to do after listening to this podcast? Dunno. Next time: We're throwing our story choice over to a Twitter poll. YOU decide! Get ready to punch your viewstat buttons!

Celebrating 56 years of Doctor Who (and Joe Ahearne)this special episode reunites us with our old mate Brian Bowen as we trawl back through classic Doctor Who picking our favourite stories and runners up. There are plenty of surprises along the way and more divergent opinion than one might imagine. Gosh! There's also a Hartnelly quiz and a visit from the Cailleach. Enjoy lovely people. We'll be back on 1st December with our next regular monthly episode exploring: Vengeance on Varos.

All praise to the Great One!!! Episode 18 sees us celebrate the epic six-part Jon Pertwee swansong Planet of the Spiders as we 'Om Mane Padme Hum' alongside those burnt-out city types in Deepest Mummerset. Andy and Alex cast their minds back to their first memories of the story in 1991 before fast-forwarding some 28 years (gasp!) to share how they feel about it today. Along the way they muse as to whether the Doctor really did steal the crystal from Metebelis III, whether that chase sequence is too long, and what hobbies the Eight Legs enjoyed at the weekends. In a startling turn of events Alex also likens the Great One to Nessa from Gavin and Stacey and praises Lupton's choice of outfit in Dressed for Success. Meanwhile Andy says 'Bus Stop' so many times that they don't feel like real words anymore. Alex's fiendish quiz has Andy try to guess the correct ages of 10 different companions for which he has to use 'maths and everything.' You will hear all of his brain cogs whirring. You'll also learn what Jackie Lane is cockney rhyming slang for. All this and an excerpt from the first chapter of Terrance Dicks' superb novelisation of 'Spiders'. The fiendish cunning of the man! If poetry is your thing, you may also enjoy the Cailleach's contribution. Alex didn't and spent the time making a sandwich instead. Rude. We love each and every one of you. Honestly we do! Well done. Next time: our 23 November anniversary special! Excite. Excite!

A special extra episode to promote the wonderful #WhoForSchools initiative set-up by Graeme and Joy of the Reality Bomb podcast. Both Alex and I have recorded special commentaries with other Who podcasters on episodes of Season 26 for this project. You can listen to these if you donate. All the details are in this episode and here: https://www.realitybombpodcast.com/whoforschools/ Our next regular episode comes out November 1st.

This month, in an episode dedicated to late great Doctor Who legend Terrance Dicks, Andy and Alex look back at one the very first Troughton stories they ever saw: The Seeds of Death. The rewatch prompts them to ask heaps of questions about the the impact of T-Mat on the Earth of the time, as they worry not unduly about the size of T-Mat cubicles, transport infrastructure, obesity and why you’d bother to ship food anywhere if you can control the weather. Before they get to the story though there’s a Janet Fielding-themed quiz to tackle (as suggested by Ian Chambers): ‘Janet or Janot’, and a chat about the relative merits of Wentworth and Prisoner Cell Block H. The Cailleach meanwhile valiantly tries to bring us up-to-date with your Hall of Fame votes but only gets us up to episode 14. Back to Seeds and Andy and Alex are on the Fewsham and Phipps trains respectively, while they both heap praise on Gia Kelly and Zoe. Dressed for Success inevitably focuses on the underpants suits and we reveal which actor in this story ended up paying towards their outfit! We also ask whether you have ever played Doctor Who Pictionary and if Susan ever did anything more significant than befriend Ping-Cho? All this and cocking-a-snook at NASA and the space race. What more could you possibly want? Spacesuits? Gravity? Backwards projected countdowns? Space madness? Another space museum? Next month: Planet of the Spiders

Episode 16 sees us 'back on the Pondcast Bagwagon' as we plunge into the lush and velvety Gaudi-inspired world of Traken where people have suddenly stopped being terribly nice to each other. We explore the all-too temporary TARDIS team of the 4th Doctor and Adric, Kassia's somewhat confusing motivations, and the place that Roger Limb's music has in Alex's psyche. We also ask just how far should you put up your hands in a hostage situation, the weaponising of the fosters, and why cucumber-strewing seems to be a Traken national sport. And what has any of this got to do with Brexit? Elsewhere there's an interview with Alex's youngest daughter Cassia (with a 'C') on seeing her namesake on the telly box for the first time, a nostalgic New Adventures books quiz, a surprisingly simpatico Cailleach, and a few interview gems from Swap Shop and Mavis Nicholson. Also, Janet Fielding goes missing! The cat not Tegan. Keep up, she's not due to debut until Logopolis. WARNING: There is singing. "Ah, Neman! How nice." Please leave us a review us on Apple Podcasts and enjoy lovelies!