Splendid Chaps

Surprise! To celebrate the announcement of the upcoming third season of Night Terrace, chaps Petra Elliott and John Richards have a look back at the Thirteenth Doctor’s first season. How does Thirteen compare to our own time traveller, Dr. Anastasia Black? Was there too much focus on the male companions? Is Thirteen holding back, or displaying traditionally “feminine” …

After nearly five years, and just before the debut of a new Thirteenth Doctor, hosts Ben McKenzie, John Richards and Petra Elliott return to the original Splendid Chaps Doctor/Theme format to discuss Peter Capaldi and music in Doctor Who! They’re joined by guests Celeste Liddle, Adam Ford and Adam Rudegeair – who also perform music and poetry just for your ears! Join us for Twelve/Music, recorded live …

It’s the final episode of our Doctor Who spin-offs mini-series! For part four, hosts Ben McKenzie, John Richards and Petra Elliott talk about the history and mechanics of spin-offs and shared universes, delve into the audience’s questions and touch on some of the less well-known Doctor Who spin-offs, again with the help of our wonderful guests Dr Djoymi Baker …

We’re back! In this, the long-awaited part three of our Doctor Who spin-offs mini-series, we put on our ties and head back to school – specifically Coal Hill Academy. Hosts Ben McKenzie, John Richards and Petra Elliott talk all about Class with special guests Djoymi Baker, George Ivanoff and – for this podcast edition only – Fury! We’ll be …

For part two of our Doctor Who spin-offs mini-series, we move in to Bannerman Road and see if we know where to look to find a whole universe of adventure, right here at home… Yes, hosts Ben McKenzie, John Richards and Petra Elliott talk all about The Sarah Jane Adventures with special guests Djoymi Baker, George Ivanoff and – for this podcast …

Yes, the chaps are back in part one of their Doctor Who spin-offs mini-series! This time we go outside the government and beyond the police – whatever that means – to talk about everyone’s favourite not-so-secret organisation which fights alien menaces in between all the sex and gore which makes it an “adult show”. That’s right – …

Surprise! It’s a new episode of Splendid Chaps! This year – on the 26th of March – the modern era of Doctor Who had its tenth anniversary. We were hoping to put together a live show to celebrate this milestone, but alas that wasn’t to be. Instead, chaps Ben, John, Petra and Lee gathered on Sunday, April 12 – ten years …

Surprise! Just when you thought you’d got rid of us, we thought we’d pop up and tell you all about our new project, Night Terrace! Our Kickstarter campaign is now underway and you can find it here! But rather than just spam your ears, Ben and John thought they should at least record a mini-episode …

Well, here it is: the last released episode of Splendid Chaps. And what a suitable topic to go out on! John, Ben and Petra discuss what they’ve learned from Doctor Who over the years with guests comedian, actor and teacher Rob Lloyd (Who, Me.) and writer and editor Liz Barr (Chicks Unravel Time) in an episode recorded for the Stonnington …

Time for a bit of time travel: on Tuesday, November 19 2013, as part of Melbourne City Library’s week-long Doctor Who Festival, Ben, John and Petra were joined by writer, director and podcaster Lucas Testro  and broadcaster, documentary maker and podcaster Marian Blythe to talk about those other splendid chaps: the companions! Plus a live musical performance of a lost Doctor Who classic …

Six topics, one hour, four chaps. Yes, it’s our bonus “By Request” episode in which Ben, John, Petra and fourth chap David Ashton discuss topics requested by our Pozible backers! And we go back, back to our very beginning, to the place where we recorded our very first episode: Penny Farthing Espresso in Northcote, Melbourne. …

Merry Christmas to all, and to all a good night! Yes, it’s our last live (and lively) show, recorded on December 15th back where we started this mad journey, at the Bella Union in Melbourne. It’s also a Christmas party to bid a a fond farewell, and you’re invited – along with guests Thomas Caldwell, Lee Zachariah, Adam Richard, Janet …

We went to Sydney! Thanks to all our wonderful Pozible backers, on Saturday, November 30 the chaps travelled north to the Roxbury Hotel in Glebe to record this episode with guests Alice Fraser, Maddie Palmer and Steven “Bajo” O’Donnell, all about the villains and monsters of Doctor Who. Join us as we try to work out what …

It’s the big one! Our actually-released-on-the-anniversary spectacular features hosts Ben McKenzie, John Richards and Petra Elliott discussing Matt Smith, the future, and plenty of other Doctor Who goodness with guests Stella Young and Justin Hamilton, plus music by house band The Time Lads and an original song by guest musical superstar, Casey Bennetto. Yes, our year nears its end with this, the final Doctor/Theme episode of …

Surprise! It’s a bonus episode of Splendid Chaps all about spoilers and surprises in Doctor Who! (We bet you thought we’d forgotten about this one! But with the surprise early release of the Day of the Doctor trailer, it seemed like the right time.) It was recorded on Sunday, June 8, 2013 at Continuum 9: Contraindicators, the ninth annual Melbourne speculative …

Sit down for this one, ‘cos you’re gonna get hot under the collar as hosts Ben McKenzie, John Richards and Petra Elliott discuss David Tennant and sex in Doctor Who with guests Aimee Nichols and Richard Watts in our tenth (ish) live Splendid Chaps episode, recorded at the Gasometer Hotel in Melbourne on October 13, 2013. Plus there are prizes, another deluge of audience questions, and Melbourne …

In early September, Ben was fortunate enough to participate in the 2013 Brisbane Writers Festival, a festival which embraced genre writing with panels on licensed works, comics, crime, romance and many more. So of course it was full of interesting Doctor Who fans to interview – which leads us to Dimensions in Brisbane! In this special …

Splendid Chaps finally makes it to new Who! Hosts Ben McKenzie, John Richards and Petra Elliott discuss Christopher Eccleston and women in Doctor Who (and didn’t we need more time for that huge topic!) with guests Karen Pickering, Celeste Liddle and Tansy Rayner Roberts! It’s the ninth live Splendid Chaps episode, recorded at the Gasometer Hotel in Melbourne on September 15, 2013. Plus there are …

Hosts Ben McKenzie, John Richards and Petra Elliott discuss the Paul McGann telemovie, and then bring in guest scientists Jack Scanlan, Alan Duffy and Allie Ford to talk science in Doctor Who as part of National Science Week! It’s the eighth live Splendid Chaps episode, recorded at Bar Open in Melbourne on August 11, 2013. Plus prizes, …

Hosts Ben McKenzie, John Richards and Petra Elliott, along with guests Paul Callaghan and Dave Bloustien, return for the second half of our seventh live Splendid Chaps episode, recorded at The Public Bar in Melbourne on July 14, 2013. In part two we’re joined by the Reverend Doctor Avril Hannah-Jones, famously of the Church of the Latter Day …

Hosts Ben McKenzie, John Richards and Petra Elliott discuss Sylvester McCoy’s time as the Doctor in this, the first part of our seventh live Splendid Chaps episode, recorded at The Public Bar in Melbourne on July 14, 2013. Yes, this was one of our biggest and most in-depth shows yet, and so we’ve decided to split it in …

Hosts Ben McKenzie, John Richards and Petra Elliott discuss Colin Baker and clothes in Doctor Who in the sixth (well, okay…ninth) live Splendid Chaps episode, recorded at Agent 284 in Melbourne on June 15, 2013. Our guests for this episode are writer and podcaster Tansy Rayner Roberts (Galactic Suburbia, Verity!) and fangirl and theatre professional Zen Fletcher. We’ve spared you a narration …

Hosts Ben McKenzie, John Richards and Petra Elliott discuss Peter Davison and fear in Doctor Who in the fifth (well, okay…seventh) live Splendid Chaps episode, recorded at the Public Bar in Melbourne on May 19, 2013, and rushed to your ears in a fraction of the usual time! (You may find it a bit rougher around the …

Hosts Ben McKenzie, John Richards and Petra Elliott met as part of Darebin Libraries’ Geek Week to discuss all things Doctor Who books in this special extra live Splendid Chaps episode, recorded at Northcote Library in Melbourne on Star Wars Day, May the 4th, 2013. With special guests editor and broadcaster Katie Purvis (Katie’s Cut Lunch on Joy 94.9) and …

Hosts Ben McKenzie, John Richards and Petra Elliott discuss Tom Baker and comedy in Doctor Who in the fourth live Splendid Chaps episode, recorded in two parts at Trades Hall in Melbourne as part of the Melbourne International Comedy Festival on April 6 and 13, 2013. With special guests Dave Callan (Triple J), Paul Verhoeven (Steam Punks, Lords …

Ben was having so much fun talking to fellow comedians about Doctor Who that he couldn’t stop at just three…so here are three more! Sarah Jones is a ventriloquist who, when she’s not performing on a cruise ship or in the UK, can often be found at The Variety Collective in Brunswick. You can find …

Since we were talking about Doctor Who and comedy for our fourth episode, as part of the Melbourne International Comedy Festival, Splendid Chap Ben McKenzie sought out a few fellow Doctor Who fan comedians and asked them about their relationship with the show: Richard McKenzie appears this Comedy Festival in Late Night Dungeon Crawl, Darkness …

Hosts Ben McKenzie, John Richards and Petra Elliott discuss Jon Pertwee and Doctor Who’s representation of “Family” in the third live Splendid Chaps episode, recorded at the Tuxedo Cat pop-up venue in Adelaide on Sunday, March 10, 2013. With special guests Cathy Adamek and Sean Williams, plus Tim FitzHigham recreating a classic track from Doctor …

Hosts Ben McKenzie, John Richards and Petra Elliott discuss Patrick Troughton and the nature of “Evil” in the second live Splendid Chaps episode, recorded at 303 in Melbourne on Sunday, February 17, 2013. With special guests Toby Truslove, Dr Djoymi Baker, and Dean Acuri performing a tribute to one of the Second Doctor’s lovely companions. To …

Hosts Ben McKenzie, John Richards and Petra Elliott discuss William Hartnell and the notion of “Authority” in the first live Splendid Chaps episode, recorded at the Bella Union in Melbourne on Sunday, January 13, 2013. With special guests Lee Zachariah, Nerida Haycock and designer of the original Cybermen, Alexandra Tynan. Plus musical guest Geraldine Quinn …

In the back room of a Northcote cafe, Ben McKenzie and John Richards, accompanied by intrepid sound guy David Ashton, met over coffee (and organic ginger beer) to record a special “Episode Zero” introduction to their new Doctor Who podcast, Splendid Chaps. What’s it all about? How’s it going to work? Who are these people, anyway? Discover …