Who Cares? - Dr. Who Fans Talk TV

Character-lite episodes. Penultimate suspense. Companion characterisation. Gods and science. Was this episode worthy of a wish? (00:00:00) What we liked (00:12:49) Doubts, plot, storytelling, villainy (00:19:50) Omega, gods, science, mythic register (00:25:42) Belinda companionship, garbling, drama confusion, Nursedoc (00:33:50) Ruby in 2025 S2, S1-S2 links (00:42:30) Conrad, wish baby, Flood hugs, political commentary, encampment (00:53:19) Non-politics, generational differences (01:03:49) Production design, aesthetics, Belinda screaming (01:13:50) The Ranis (01:23:35) Episode structure, Chibnall era comparisons, Omega reveal (01:32:01) Poppy, family, adoption, motherhood, wishes, Vindicator, sci-fi power (01:39:30) Ncuti's wishes, season 2 development (01:47:35) Visual storytelling (01:56:28) Ending countdown, contrived suspense, Harry Potter, doubt (02:00:37) Too early to judge, Belinda's doubts… Continue reading →

'The kind of episode you should never do a sequel to'. Continuing mining, drama avoidance, gun storytelling, script development…was The Well a diamond in the rough, or a worthy sequel? (00:00:00) The episode's identity (00:04:15) Contrasts with Midnight (00:13:56) The entity's physical form and methods (00:21:48) Aliss and the entity's escape (00:27:33) Misremembered throwback to RTD1 (00:34:53) Avoidance of Belinda drama (00:40:19) Militaristic stories with a sonic mouse (00:44:52) How the script came to be (00:50:29) Being "classic" Doctor Who (00:57:50) Visual and musical moments (01:03:44) Warriors of the Deep (01:09:52) Metatextuality (01:15:14) Flood, signing on screen, sign off … Continue reading →

New storytelling, ghostwriter mythos, dialogue density, clipshow climaxes, different approaches to gods...how does The Story & the Engine do Doctor Who differently? (00:00:00) New writer, Dot and Bubble comparisons, Doctor outside Doctoring (00:08:42) Hose, tie-in short story, Omo, commercialised storytelling (00:11:17) Haircuts, barbershop, African setting, density of ideas (00:18:13) Dialogue focus, place in Doctor Who, continuity, Doctor returns (00:27:47) Storytelling, Belinda, Gods, science (00:38:55) Generational trauma, reproducing exploitation, Omo betrayal (00:45:18) The Barber villain, 'ghostwriter', web, villain forgiveness (00:53:57) Pacing, 'hurt people hurt people', companion dialogue, Ncuti performance (01:01:29) Captain Poppy, clipshow climax, life stories, fan responses… Continue reading →

UNIT politics, grifting, didactic Doctor, conspiracy confusion, youth movements, valuing the ordinary, conventional heroism...who is Lucky Day's audience, and what is it saying to them? (00:00:00) Refreshing episode (00:06:23) Overdosing on doccy who, UNIT critiques to come (00:14:11) Episode structure, conspiracy confusion (00:23:13) Grifting, psychoanalysis vs ideology (00:30:05) UNIT politics (00:44:50) Kate, moralising violence, justifying secrecy (00:56:21) Didactic Doctor speech to Conrad, ordinary & extraordinary (01:05:37) Think Tank, conventional protector heroism (01:12:30) Family, housemates, Belinda, Flood, Missy (01:28:09) Youth movements, mundanity, rationalisation (01:35:21) Awkward climax, Brigadier, romance Conrad, readings (01:44:13) Closing thoughts… Continue reading →

Torture, honey, morality, physicality, camp, regression, edginess… there's lots to discuss in Juno Dawson's Eurovision episode of the 2025 season of Doctor Who. (00:00:00) Thoughts, plot, Die Hard (00:06:19) Belinda, character interiority (00:11:34) ‘Wonderful' cool Doctor, sidelining morality drama, gendered characterisation (00:21:21) Eurovision context & politics (00:35:27) Honey, Hellia, sponsorship, ideology (00:46:49) Fifteen characterisation, novelty vs regression, ‘scary' Doctor (00:58:51) Torture scene, neutralising drama, The Good Doctor (01:08:05) Imagery & physicality in the torture scene, icy heart (01:22:16) Cora's song, resistance, Andor (01:30:11) Camp, writing Belinda & the Doctor, RTD stasis (01:41:35) The music (01:57:46) Susan Foreman, brink of death, Anita Dobson (02:09:30) Technobabble, side characters (02:19:34) The Ranis (02:28:38) Another bigeneration, another Delta Wave (02:37:08) Spectacle, horns, protector, the Doctor's rage, Nursedoc shipping (02:45:53) Leak Zone: villains, future, casting, telos… Continue reading →

Pantheon rules, companion dynamics, rhymes with the past, fandom commentary, liminal nights, aesthetic choices, dodgy lyrics — we discuss all that, & more, in covering Lux, Russell T Davies' second episode of the 2025 season of Doctor Who. (00:00:00) Similarities to Devil's Chord (00:07:30) Rules of the Pantheon genre (00:14:12) Belinda and 15's changed dynamic (00:22:03) Choices of music (00:28:21) The fans sequence (00:35:34) What audience? War Between tangent (00:41:18) Visuals and details we appreciated (00:46:25) Belinda's nursing expertise (00:48:55) Handling of racism (00:53:21) Liminal, marginal, Scooby Doo camp (00:57:38) "Planned leaks" delusions (01:02:13) Issues with Pantheon & vibes storytelling (01:12:15) Dodgy lyricism (01:13:50) Mr Pye, PoV for the Target novel (01:20:15) Performances of the two leads (01:24:31) Spoons arc & outro … Continue reading →

The #GetBelindaHome arc, companion dynamics, new aesthetics, mechanical pathos, and the looming future of the show — we discuss that, and much more, in covering The Robot Revolution, Russell T Davies' 2025 Doctor Who Season 2 premiere. (00:00:00) Intro & initial thoughts (00:02:29) Belinda & her dynamic with 15 (00:12:47) #GetBelindaHome ‘arc' (00:22:37) Belinda's character arc in the episode (00:27:32) Time fracture contrivances (00:33:55) The unreasonably cool visuals (00:39:02) Handling of themes (00:47:49) Bizarrely convoluted plot (00:51:21) Belinda's mature response to the Doctor (00:58:47) 15 being told off; implications of Mundy (01:04:55) Sasha-55, mechanical pathos (01:13:17) X-ray blanket; Sutekh noise (01:16:58) The spectre haunting Who (01:31:21) Leak zone begins: Season 2 leaks timeline (01:40:30) Leaks: Episode 3 (01:43:56) Leaks: Mrs Flood (01:48:27) Leaks: Eps 3, 5, 2, 6 (01:52:00) Leaks: Finale antagonist (02:04:06) Leaks: Ending surprises (02:12:21) Leaks: Critique of the idea (02:19:32) Leaks: Aftermath, spinoffs (02:23:40) Outro… Continue reading →

How did characters develop in the 2024 season? Promises of novelty, universe expansions and contractions, character conflict, audience relationships, storytelling worlds, & much more is discussed in this look at the second year of Russell T Davies' return. (00:00:00) Overall feelings on S1 (00:05:12) Expectations & reality of RTD's return (00:11:20) Promises of newness vs. the outcome (00:15:21) Considering 2024 S1 against other seasons (00:19:56) Tracking S1's narratives (00:21:01) Church: Ruby & 15's worlds (00:28:34) Church: character conflict (00:32:48) Space: story & arcs (00:40:03) Space: character conflict (00:42:30) Chord: Ruby & 15's development (00:46:45) Boom: Moffat's take on Ruby & 15 (00:52:42) Boom: character conflict (00:54:48) Yards: Ruby's acceptance (00:59:03) Bubble: Ruby's acceptance (01:03:43) Rogue: heart-to-heart moments (01:07:27) Legend: arc focus & Susan (01:12:57) Empire: story, arcs, character (01:26:06) Strengths of 15's character (01:32:46) Fourth wall + editing (01:39:23) Comic-Con: canon, friendship, Star Trek (01:42:51) Comic-Con: RTD reflections (01:56:08) Comic-Con: Whoniverse, announcements, IP, acting, leaks (02:20:06) Mel, family, VHS (02:23:32) Doctor Who at the Proms (2024) (02:57:44) Bubble's premise, 15's characterisation, Yards' ambiguity, S1's shape (03:13:37) The spinoff (03:30:19) Season 3 + reflecting on the revived series (03:35:20) Wobbly empire + audience relationship + streaming bubble (04:09:31) Individual seasons as individual ‘worlds' (04:22:12) Looking forward … Continue reading →

Digital ghosts, emotional logic, character regression, James Bond, four-point stars — how does Steven Moffat's fiftieth episode of Doctor Who hold up? (00:00:00) Moffat's fiftieth episode (00:03:28) Vignette structure + recalling past eras (00:09:37) Joy's hotel room (00:12:51) COVID confrontation + Joy's characterisation (00:19:38) Repeating themes & development across the show (00:28:37) Regression intentionality (00:37:01) Many companions + James Bond (00:42:32) Anita (00:48:28) Time Hotel premise (00:52:42) Same writers + digital ghosts (01:04:20) AI inspiration + four point star (01:11:50) Endings & Dracula (01:18:12) Religion's role in the episode (01:24:11) Music of the episode + big emotions (01:37:30) Direction of the episode (01:46:15) Romance, wood, heaven, mortality… Continue reading →

Moral misdirection, cancel culture, perspective shifts, ‘male feminism', weaponised incompetence, theatrical pacing, generational differences, interlocked bullying, & much more are explored in this discussion of Steven Moffat's 2024 TV series. (00:00:00) Expectations (00:06:20) Genesis of the story (00:22:04) Padding & elongation (00:30:37) Cliffhangers & perspective shifts (00:32:35) Attitudes towards Moffat (00:43:02) Morgan & geekdom (00:52:44) Toby & feminism (01:04:33) Douglas & morality (01:10:55) Daughter Claudia (01:16:40) Cancellation misdirection (01:21:01) Moffat & cancel culture (01:26:16) Timeliness & generational differences (01:35:06) Self-deprecation & nullification (01:43:22) Moffat tropes (01:47:35) Morality, cancel culture, weaponisation (01:55:05) Bullying (02:01:37) Social media (02:04:50) Incompetence + Madeline's ending (02:19:36) Audience takeaways (02:22:11) ‘Equal rights' (02:27:48) Theatricality & form (02:31:19) Aesthetics (02:34:13) The cast (02:38:40) What's next… Continue reading →

Investing significance. RTD finales. Whistles. Ropes. Spoons. Dogs. What story did the finale tell? (00:00:00) Preserving 73 Yards' mysteries (00:05:10) Ruby rejecting the Doctor's advice (00:10:19) Designs and vibes we liked; praise for Bonnie Langford (00:14:30) VFX & concept of the climax (00:17:51) Linking Timeless Child with Susan (00:20:08) The 'distracted Davies' thesis (00:26:24) Alternative theories about RTD (00:29:45) Inspired first album vs. second set of songs (00:35:27) Format of NewWho breaking down in S1 (00:40:32) 15 & Ruby's lack of drama/arcs (00:44:54) Repetition & reduction of old themes (00:48:48) Deep symbolism of the black dog of death (00:57:08) Treating themes like puzzles (01:01:12) Sutekh's hollow usage & lack of character (01:05:22) Fanfiction-esque language & fake moral dilemmas (01:10:54) 'Anti-nostalgia' readings of a nostalgic story (01:17:36) Cultural appropriation jab (01:20:33) Rewriting Pyramids of Mars' ending to make it bad (01:24:26) Redundancy & parallels (01:27:27) The dog whistle and the removed ‘origin' (01:38:19) The unsnapping & whether it had impact (01:41:38) Residual Sue Tech confusion (01:45:41) Investment of the Significance (02:05:55) Attempted Last Jedi homage (02:09:49) Lingering plot strangeness & spoons (02:13:06) Ruby & the Doctor's farewell (02:21:44) End of main discussion (02:25:14) Cinema viewings of the finale (02:55:49) Music of the episode… Continue reading →

Content generation. Penultimate pacing. Spoiler culture. Characters arcs & mystery boxes. Villain visuals. Time Window meanings. What story does this episode tell? (00:00:00) Moments, music, & cast members we liked (00:08:34) Time as a VHS memory (00:13:16) Tales of the TARDIS link (00:16:52) Handling of UNIT favourites (00:19:50) Susan Twist "generates content" (00:30:20) RTD character arcs vs. mystery boxes (00:39:07) How penultimate episodes usually work (00:43:48) Lack of dramatic cohesion (00:51:15) Villain's questionable characterisation (00:58:31) "Epicness" vs. compelling villains (01:06:51) Lawrence Miles' interpretation of the villain (01:13:36) Villain's visual design (01:17:13) Chanting about the Pantheon (01:23:12) Being old enough to know what VHS is (01:28:06) The BBFC spoilers incident (01:36:22) How early on did fans solve the reveal? (01:38:36) Ruby's few moments & time window filler (01:43:22) Pet peeves & Susan's strange parentage (01:47:55) Impactful moments lacking impact (01:51:41) Mrs F candidates & the Deca effect (01:56:09) Prospects for the last ep & Nitwit Tower (01:59:13) Music of the episode (02:35:03) RTD on the opening & pun… Continue reading →

New writers! What's that like? Evoking past eras, generational nostalgia, romance pacing, valorising tradition, iconic characters, 'real Doctor Who', & much more gets discussed. (00:00:00) New writers, cold open, ‘real Doctor Who' (00:06:28) Captain Jack Harkness + the kiss (00:14:23) Genesis of new writers + Loki controversy (00:20:32) Rogue (the character) (00:26:25) Romance speed (Gig departs) (00:32:58) Fifteen characterisation (00:37:42) Confusion + Rogue morality (00:45:53) Ruby in the episode + Sunday flashback (00:55:05) Derivative storytelling + production tidbits (01:02:13) Music of the episode (waltz, TARDIS) (01:11:58) Evoking eras + enemies to lovers (01:16:45) Music & mystery + finale expectations (01:25:54) Bridgerton (Gig reappears) (01:31:56) Bounty hunting + moral ambiguity (01:38:20) Good moments (01:40:05) Doctor faces / Shalka scene (Tyler departs) (01:51:37) Shalka VFX Twitter (01:58:21) More musical moments (Shalka, Twist, proposal) (02:06:02) RTD on the Shalka Doctor… Continue reading →

Is this an unprecedented kind of story? What does the ending say, & what does it avoid saying? How well does the Doctor-lite majority of the episode work? What meanings does the aesthetic & music suggest? (00:00:00) General impressions (00:01:59) Premise disguising the real point (00:09:28) Misdirection & hints (00:15:30) Ricky the surrogate Doctor (00:18:50) Who is "the audience"? (00:23:31) End of history setting & antagonist (00:27:51) Tech industry AI paranoia (00:30:35) Nostalgic Fallout-y aesthetics (00:32:47) Disturbing moments & Ricky's fate (00:37:24) Slug design & backstory (00:40:44) Slugs representing narrative's breakdown (00:43:27) Doctor-lite episodes (00:46:26) The ending & what it avoids (01:01:20) Ncuti's performance & characterisation at the end (01:05:54) The Doctor's decision to leave (01:11:23) Questions about the Homeworld (01:13:53) Music of the episode… Continue reading →

Does 73 Yards present a new RTD approach, uncluttered from the old? Does nightmare logic suit the show? What do we project onto the episode's mysteries? Is the episode, as RTD says, one of the best things he's ever written? (00:00:00) Nightmare Who (00:09:28) Audience projection (00:11:14) Mad Jack (00:13:23) Wales & politics (00:18:39) Spinoffs & UNIT (00:21:52) Carla & season pacing (00:25:01) Resolutions (00:33:28) Old Ruby after the climax (00:41:30) Absence of the Doctor (00:44:13) Journey of a life (00:50:32) Best of RTD (00:58:40) Power & what ifs (01:06:30) Complicity & ambiguity (01:13:29) Music of the episode (01:54:44) Reflections & interview clarity… Continue reading →

How does Boom measure up to past Moffat episodes? What's confronted, and what's evaded, in the story? What does the episode say about faith, AI, fatherhood, Doctor mystery, companion casting, and war profiteering? Do the aesthetics work with, or against, the story? What does it mean for an episode to be a 'sinister farce'? (00:00:00) Return to the Moffat era (00:03:27) Echoes of previous Moff characters (00:06:07) 15's moon and the president's wife rhyme (00:11:46) Smithesque season arc teases (00:14:20) Moffat arcs vs RTD2's arc (00:18:17) Messy third act (00:24:31) Splice and the ensemble (00:30:18) Inside Man and frustrated catharsis (00:36:11) Dissipating tension (00:41:59) Cleverly structured cold open (00:47:07) Expensive visuals & cool costumes (00:54:12) Moffat's role as exec producer (00:56:40) Varada Sethu paratext (01:00:47) Cheating your audience (01:06:53) Proof and faith (01:10:51) Hedging criticism and overlapping concepts (01:19:52) 'Thoughts and prayers', 'we come in peace' (01:23:27) Evasive approach to algorithms and politics (01:30:59) Direction notes and challenges (01:34:56) Tinelime confusion continues (01:35:27) Stray thoughts & Skye Boat scene (01:38:50) Music of the episode… Continue reading →

What's new and different about the RTD2 approach? What does a post-Giggle Doctor Who look like? When is a chord not a chord? What does a 'twist at the end' really mean? How is 15's first run taking shape as a season? (00:00:00) Cartoon episode + Maestro + opening theme (00:05:03) Direction + sustained sequences (00:09:14) The lost chord (00:12:34) Wonky premise + music battle (00:22:14) Maestro villainy + 15 characterisation (00:26:40) Susan (Foreman) + Time Lord genocide ellision (00:31:24) Six month gap (00:36:17) 'Saxon theme' + subtitles (00:39:47) There's Always A Twist At The End (00:53:43) The ending (00:55:21) Carol of the Bells + secret song + Pantheon (00:59:55) Tone of the episode + 1960s (01:02:15) Maestro's music (01:04:37) RTD comments on The Devil's Chord (01:11:11) 'Media literacy' (01:22:58) RTD2 season 1 arcs… Continue reading →

How is this era being differentiated from those prior? How is music telling the story? What's new about this Doctor's characterisation? What's familiar, and what's novel, about this new Disney Who? (00:00:00) General impressions (00:03:45) Self-conscious overexplaining (00:08:13) Clever rejigging of the Timeless Child (00:10:49) Lack of breathing room (00:15:39) Doctor not needing a purpose (00:18:06) Empty exposition (00:20:46) The bizarre ending & Moff callbacks (00:24:10) Snow attack (00:26:07) Time to talk about the babies (00:27:36) Baby lips vs. Rose's carnivorous bin (00:31:02) NSA-quality idea (00:34:55) Flashbacks within the same episode (00:42:41) Secretly Kill The Moon? (00:45:26) The "Disney scene" at the start (00:50:28) The Ruby Road ending recap (00:51:50) Millie elevating the material (00:56:32) Ncuti's handling of bad lines (01:03:11) Jocelyn/NAN-E and her filter (01:06:38) RTD comments on season airing & structure (01:17:09) RTD Space Babies + adoption comments (01:22:56) Music from Space Babies (chromatic descent) (01:25:31) Entering TARDIS (opening music, drums) (01:28:14) Wondrous music + chromatic descent (01:31:51) This is Gallifrey + Fifteen's theme (01:35:18) Silly TARDIS music + Ruby's theme (01:38:41) Fifteen's theme variation (TARDIS vworping) (01:39:51) Baby unveiling music + other composers (01:43:57) They Took The Baby (01:47:37) Action music (monster dying) (01:50:51) A Good Man (saving monster)… Continue reading →

How has RTD relaunched Doctor Who? How has he remixed and rejigged the previous eras of the show? How to sell the magic of Who? How do the aesthetics of this era compare to what's come before? What's present, and what's missing? And what do the extras and the novelisation add? (00:00:00) Thoughts vs. Specials 1-3 (00:06:48) Awkward 'Special 4' positioning (00:10:59) Doctor dancing in club scene (00:15:59) Remixing the foundling lore (00:23:03) Attitudes to adoption & Ruby's family (00:30:23) Dark Carla scene and its implications (00:40:24) Goblin controversy (00:44:45) The direction, editing and composition (00:56:00) Visual storytelling issues in climactic scenes (01:12:11) The Flood reveal & her identity (01:19:06) Liminal checkpoints vs. jumping-on points (01:29:15) Experiencing media the 'right way' (01:32:51) How to sell the magic of Who (01:38:16) Ruby's motive for entering the TARDIS (01:41:58) Showrunners' interest in the TARDIS (01:46:59) The "Disney scene" (01:51:19) "I finally saw him as the Doctor" (01:53:17) Music in the show's DNA (01:58:35) The Goblin Song (02:04:29) Cringe, insecurity & sincerity (02:11:11) Goblin Song stylistic choices (02:13:43) Darkness, diegesis, magical church & fake snow (02:19:27) The missing Goblin King attack sequence (02:24:54) Overcompensating CGI over practical effects (02:31:31) Photos on the fridge (02:33:40) Praise for Millie and Ncuti's performances (02:41:21) Costume design & companion comparisons (02:49:46) The mysterious musical motif (03:01:41) More musical highlights and parallels (03:13:42) Interview quotes about the new TARDIS (03:18:53) The new sonic's design and usage (03:30:17) Most and least exciting future episodes (03:38:00) Millie Gibson interviews (03:43:41) Millie rumours & the online outrage industry (03:52:00) Influencer ideology (03:57:43) Janis Goblin (03:59:32) Novelisation: author backstory (04:06:30) Novel: Opening (04:10:25) Novel: Chapters 2-3, writing style (04:13:42) Novel: Dance scene, chapters 5-6 (04:17:29) Novel: Action scenes & Ruby internal monologue (04:21:48) Novel: The ship escape & room for authorial liberties (04:27:29) Novel: Cut psychic paper and jargon (04:31:47) Novel: "I've got no-one"; Drastic Transgression (04:34:56) Novel: Ruby's family & 15's emotions (04:40:24) Novel: Crack in time (04:43:14) Novel: Spiking the ship & Doctor's motivations (04:52:44) Novel: Ruby entering the TARDIS (04:58:08) Novel: Overall thoughts… Continue reading →

Was the regeneration satisfying? What's a Doctorverse? How is the show reorienting to fantasy? Why do people feel so differently about the bigeneration? How is the Toymaker's legacy handled? What's different in the novelisation? What does this finale say about the show's past and future? We discuss The Giggle in depth, while also covering the novelisation and the bevy of extras. (00:00:00) Journey to France (00:06:34) ‘There's no such thing' (00:08:03) Impressions & attitudes (00:16:29) Goals of the episode (00:27:51) UNIT, lasers, journalists (00:32:28) Unleashed racism (00:49:08) Music + Toymaker origins (00:58:23) Giggle thematics + giving fans tools (01:14:12) Music, Moffat, montage (01:35:54) Social commentary (01:44:42) Mel (01:52:20) The Ruminant (02:02:07) Ball game (02:09:21) We can be celestial (02:13:49) Bigeneration: qualifiers & The End of Time (02:25:00) Bigeneration: time loop & Tales of the TARDIS (02:33:09) Bigeneration: opinions & Oliver (02:45:51) Bigeneration: inquiries & Ingiga (02:55:28) Bigeneration: Doctors as different people (03:03:52) Bigeneration: guilt, continuity, baggage (03:11:14) Bigeneration: emotions, finality, family (03:21:40) Bigeneration: retirement, cheating, two TARDISes (03:36:54) Bigeneration: I stay there, he flies off (03:46:09) Bigeneration: affording a house in France (03:52:07) Bigeneration: spectacle, toys (04:00:07) Bigeneration: costume handover across regenerations (04:07:41) Doctorverse (04:42:52) Novelisation: appeal, politicians, UNIT (04:48:58) Novelisation: Toymaker perspective, hashtag Donna reasons (04:57:15) Novelisation: choose your own adventure + Flux (05:03:22) Novelisation: musical sequence (05:11:03) Novelisation: bigeneration + defeat (05:15:10) Novelisation: third act expansion (05:26:57) Novelisation: ending (05:51:20) Books, brands, the future, pop (05:57:51) Addendum: bigeneration — behind the scenes (06:06:56) Ncuti's casting + TARDIS talk (06:10:09) 14's house, parallels with Mel, actor expectations (06:17:03) Script details + regeneration handovers (06:23:26) Outro… Continue reading →

Doctor-Donna genesis, lyrical lovesickness, character regressions, vindictive villainy, musical escalation, Racnoss drowning, Christmas imagery & more are discussed in this review of The Runaway Bride, Doctor Who's 2006 Christmas special. (00:00:00) Comparing RTD Christmas specials (00:04:27) Stakes + establishing Doctor/Donna bond (00:08:30) Lance representing insecurity (00:14:54) Actors across time (00:16:37) Empress of the Racnoss (00:20:02) Handling of Rose's absence (00:28:23) Love Don't Roam scene & lyrics (00:34:00) RTD & Christmas imagery (00:36:36) Orchestral & cinematic scale (00:42:28) The real core of the Earth (00:46:05) Spider web attack on London (00:48:47) 10 drowning the Racnoss (00:55:57) Introducing Gallifrey & wider universe (01:00:05) Vindictive villainy (01:03:31) 'You can stop now' (01:05:17) Donna imitating Rose's swing moment (01:09:55) Bookending Doctor/Donna relationship (01:12:16) Episode archaeology (01:15:37) How Lance became a companion (01:17:13) The Snake in the grass (01:23:36) The 1:50 AM Incident (01:25:09) Fan judgement & children's acceptance (01:30:16) Donna's wedding 'regeneration' (01:33:22) Sympathy for the Racnoss (01:40:35) Donna not joining the TARDIS (01:43:39) Staging of the ending scene (01:45:25) Cruelty & warmth in Donna's life (01:49:44) Retrospective thoughts & looking forward… Continue reading →

Anniversary expectations, aesthetic foundations, timeless parallels, equine verisimilitude, character servicing & more are explored in a discussion about the episode, as well as the interquel comic, novelisation, and multiple extras. (00:00:00) Expectations & disappointment (00:10:01) Celebrating the cast + anniversaries (00:16:45) Newton, mavity, reactions (00:24:33) Bi Doctor (00:27:13) Visual effects (00:39:05) Music (00:42:44) Flux & the Timeless Child (01:04:24) Physicality & warmth (01:08:06) Characters underserved (01:25:40) Space plot, Moffat, cut pages, time meddling (01:35:10) Alien gender + countdown pacing (01:42:21) Music & motivations (01:47:50) Wilf (01:52:36) Unleashed banter + verisimilitude (01:57:50) Timeless TARDIS parallel + food (02:06:38) Wild Blue Yonder song + Mrs. Bean (02:14:57) Anniversary expectations + camp (02:29:47) TARDIS usage (02:32:55) Interquel comic (02:41:02) Magazine comments (02:44:19) Novelisation: novel types + Newton prologue (02:48:59) Novelisation: internal additions + TARDIS personification (02:52:05) Novelisation: cut lines + chase sequence (02:57:22) Novelisation: Flux + Doctor breakdown (03:02:22) Novelisation: Exorcist moment + 14's face + Donna's yoga (03:06:16) Novelisation: sonic kiss + doppelganger deaths (03:11:05) Novelisation: ending + 60th novel differences… Continue reading →

Maker of Toys. Recasting actors. Character crossovers. Chaotic rewrites. Scuppered returns. Script archaeology. Fandom reassessments. The 1966 Toymaker serial is a bizarre window into a very strange and liminal period of Doctor Who, and a very strange and scattered set of production circumstances. (00:00:00) Introduction & first reactions (00:03:42) Why has it persisted? (00:06:38) What the Toymaker actually does (00:08:29) Watching characters do puzzles (00:10:42) Internal logic (00:12:57) Darkness of the story & humanity of the toys (00:16:43) Wasting time & trap of meaninglessness (00:21:34) Steven & Dodo's roles (00:25:24) Thoughts on the 'visuals' (00:28:06) Toymaker compared to the Doctor (00:30:01) 'Cheat' resolution of the story (00:33:47) Pathos of the toy characters (00:37:53) Toymaker as a villain & a performance (00:41:46) Music & things we wish we could see (00:44:45) Absence of Hartnell & his qualities (00:46:22) History of the serial: script editors (00:48:56) Genesis of the script, George & Margaret (00:54:37) Rewrites addressing tonal issues (00:56:31) Early regeneration of Hartnell? (00:58:51) Transition of the production teams (01:01:54) Replacing George and Margaret & impact of the rewrites (01:06:53) Contemporary & fan responses to the story (01:11:03) Racist elements & interpretations over time (01:14:32) The 'occidental Mandarin' & British juxtapositions (01:19:15) Toymaker as an appropriator & depicting Orientalism (01:27:50) Public schoolboys & Empire psychology (01:31:44) Lost potential for meaning (01:34:10) Absence leaving room to project & reimagine (01:38:10) Position in the show's progression/regression + outro… Continue reading →

RTD's second reign begins. New characterisations, layered resolutions, focal perspectives, conversations with other eras, new & old aesthetics, physicality, crypticism, milkmen, & more are explored in a discussion not just about the episode, but also the hours of extras, as well as the novelisation. (00:00:00) Returning show, returning cast (00:05:43) Rose & main characters (00:15:28) Metacrisis resolutions; ‘I'm finally me' (00:21:23) Official behind-the-scenes shows (00:31:26) Rose's role in the climax; non-binary characters (00:45:21) Male-presenting Time Lords; double resolutions (00:53:32) Conversing with past eras; watching forwards & backwards (01:05:50) Differences from the comic (01:15:16) The episode's visuals & music (01:24:49) The weather report; preferring 14 (01:34:31) Titles; Donna's charity (01:52:54) New sonic, new TARDIS; physicality (01:58:00) The Nobles; roads (02:08:02) Pronouns; Shirley (02:15:53) The Face of the Doctor; the Curator (02:22:24) Lampshading crypticism; show's social purpose (02:27:32) Unleashed & the in-vision commentary; boom mics (02:37:21) Clarifying the weather report (02:41:26) Novelisation: Stolen Earth milkman; sonic (02:49:17) Novelisation: memos, Wilf, Sylvia (02:58:21) Novelisation: Rose, Sharon, Kate (03:05:25) Novelisation: Wrarth lore; Galaxipedia (03:11:12) Novelisation: metacrisis resolution; Donna's forgiveness (03:16:20) Novelisation: promixity to transmission… Continue reading →

What divides comedy and sincerity? When is a skit not a skit? How did Destination: Skaro lead to fandom crossing wires? Why did the 14th Doctor's era start with months of Dalek froth and frippery? Bootstrap paradoxes, tonal contrasts, Dalek nostalgia, comedy as deflection, showrunner blame, minisode structure, journeys into the past, and more are discussed! Neo, Ingiga, & Missy discuss the last gasp before the second Doctor Who era of Russell T Davies starts in earnest with the 60th anniversary specials, looking at Destination: Skaro, Liberation of the Daleks, and Doctor Who: Unleashed. (00:00:00) Doctor openings + Children in Need (00:07:58) Destination: Skaro + types of humour (00:25:48) Unleashed's format + RTD's words (00:43:43) Fandom processing culture (00:58:21) Genesis & Moffat (01:03:37) RTD's journeys into the past (01:14:11) Accents + wobbly sets (01:23:40) The music (01:28:00) Bootstrap paradoxes + Bleach & Eccleston (01:34:44) Liberation of the Daleks (01:45:06) Outro… Continue reading →

Fire, technology, and knowledge beyond understanding. Horror, humanity, and forming a tribe. Imagination, magic, and metaphors for TV. We discuss the first four episodes of Doctor Who — the characters, the themes, the visuals, and why they've lasted from 1963 to today. (00:00:00) First episode vs the next three (00:07:06) Horror & humanity (00:12:52) Ian & Barbara + value of mystery (00:17:55) Conveying information + Susan (00:23:39) Classic Who trope-forming (00:29:57) The TV audience (00:36:22) The visual direction + generations of humanity (00:46:11) Technology + dialogue (00:53:31) Rock meets head + fear makes companions (01:01:19) Unity & morality (01:12:37) Stakes, Susan, fire, imagination (01:18:57) Costumes, contrast, junkyard, dematerialisation (01:25:21) Colourisation + the ending (01:32:34) Final thoughts… Continue reading →

Meep! Meep! Why has this comic persisted through the decades? How did Beep the Meep and the Wrarth Warriors make their impact on Doctor Who? What makes Doctor Who comics unique from the show? How did The Star Beast presage later eras of the TV show? Why does David Tennant think this era of comics was even better than the TV show at the time? We get into all these questions in a discussion of the original 1980 The Star Beast comic from Pat Mills and Dave Gibbons. (00:00:00) Why the comic has lasted (00:08:01) Beep the Meep (00:11:16) Companion intros + enemy backstory (00:17:48) Dave Gibbons' art + Wrarth Warriors (00:22:40) Fourth Doctor comics & TV (00:33:01) Pat Mills & Dave Gibbons 2023 interview (00:45:50) Tone of the comic (00:51:40) Tennant & RTD on the comic (00:57:00) Memorable parts of the comic (01:02:34) Through the decades… Continue reading →

We discuss the audio follow-up to the first TV show from Russell T Davies! Prestigious returns, technology & mysticism, shifting formats, generational storytelling, RTD writing for non-TV mediums, supernatural schools, & more are discussed in this review of the 2023 follow-up to Dark Season's 1991 TV run. (00:00:00) Impressions of what's new (00:07:40) The cast across generations (00:16:40) 2.1 Spring (00:36:38) 2.2 Summer (00:58:23) 2.3 Autumn (01:13:26) 2.4 Winter (02:01:30) RTD returning to shows… Continue reading →

A deep dive into Ryan Sinclair and disability representation. What is dyspraxia? How was Ryan's dyspraxia depicted in Doctor Who? How should representation be approached? How does Ryan's characterisation resonate with people with dyspraxia? How do infantalisation, cyclicality, relationships with time, and narrative stasis play into all this? All these sorts of questions are explored in a thorough journey through Ryan's time across Chris Chibnall's era of Doctor Who, examining every clip relevant to Ryan's dyspraxia, along with script excerpts, relevant articles, and more. This is a cumulative analysis of Ryan's time on the show from authentic perspectives from fans with dyspraxia, starting with a wide-ranging discussion on dyspraxia and representation, then moving into an examination of relevant episodes and scripts. (00:00:00) Intro & importance (00:03:03) Defining dyspraxia (00:11:47) Disability intersection, narratives, & frameworks (00:16:33) Representation of dyspraxia (00:25:42) Role of representation (00:36:32) Chibnall's approach (00:46:21) Reception to Ryan (00:52:27) More reception to Ryan (00:59:09) The Woman Who Fell to Earth (01:55:37) The Ghost Monument (02:08:41) Kerblam! (02:18:09) It Takes You Away (02:22:38) Resolution (02:27:41) Spyfall (02:46:41) Nikola Tesla's Night of Terror (02:47:41) The Haunting of Villa Diodati (02:51:42) The Timeless Children (02:58:30) Revolution of the Daleks (03:13:15) Outro… Continue reading →

Hope. Fatherhood. Pting. The midpoint of series 11 is where the era well and truly solidified. What did this episode present us with? Where did the idea for the Pting come from? What does it mean for the series to nebulously bring up the idea of 'hope in dark times' so often? What's unusual about the episode's structure? (00:00:00) Initial reactions (00:05:05) Origins of the script + Pting appeal (00:08:16) Script's unusual structure (00:14:53) Handling of ensemble & pacing (00:19:36) Being a doctor of people + humanising characters (00:29:26) Handling of Graham and Ryan + daddy issues (00:35:50) Control of tone + sense of peril (00:40:56) Automation & medication (00:42:13) Hope in dark times + antimatter (00:49:06) Technobabble (00:52:18) Pep talks & medical dramas (00:57:36) Small details (01:01:52) RTD impressions (01:04:47) Scheduling & audience tolerance (01:05:35) Music, set design, genre play (01:07:09) Shoutouts + stray thoughts (01:11:29) Outro… Continue reading →

Steven Knight's incredibly interesting adaptation of the 1860s novel raises questions of society's relationship with Charles Dickens, revising endings, the British collective subconscious, shock tactics, adaptive remixing, myopic approaches to cultural touchstones, problematising periods, social mobility, rags-to-riches storytelling, character agency, cultural ownership, and much more. (00:00:00) New expectations & Steven Knight (00:07:40) Problematising a period (00:16:16) Women in the show + social mobility (00:23:21) Pip & Magwitch (00:27:21) Policing adaptations + Pip's agency (00:38:48) Why another adaptation? (00:46:09) Endings, period drama, Pip's personality (00:55:21) Shock tactics & apologia (01:08:09) Dreams, adaptations, collective subconscious (01:18:32) Improvisation & rags-to-riches storytelling (01:32:45) Style of the show (01:41:13) Jaggers, realism (01:59:32) Three endings + sexuality (02:28:38) The show's beginning + gentlemen (02:39:24) Reception to the show (03:06:53) Stray positive thoughts + different Drummle (03:14:19) Pip, Havisham, maturity (03:31:37) Knight's next Dickens adaptation… Continue reading →

What does this episode say about history, civil rights, education, revolution, pacifism, complicity, the law, and race? What did the fandom and press reactions to the episode tell us? What is the legacy of the episode? (00:00:00) Intro + reactions to the episode (00:04:25) Introducing ideologies (00:05:44) Usage of the companions (00:10:43) Incuriosity & agency (00:14:52) Pessimistic view of civil rights (00:21:26) Semantics + obeying authority (00:24:53) Possibilities + Ryan's role (00:29:09) Falling back on Grace (00:30:26) Tonderai and Chibnall's thoughts (00:38:42) Grace vs Fugitive Doctor (00:41:04) Respectability politics & generational differences (00:45:03) Tonal mismatches (00:47:57) Strange aesthetics + American aspiration (00:53:24) Rise Up (00:55:14) Krasko (00:57:09) Could the show do better? (00:59:26) End of history & dehistoricisation (01:03:00) Focus on individuals (01:05:15) Connections to RTD2 (01:06:50) Fandom reactions + Graham as viewer (01:10:32) Lack of critical discourse (01:14:27) Dead museum or theme park (01:19:41) Outro… Continue reading →

What defined the Chibnall era? How did fandom process the era? How is the era being reassessed? How did those behind the era see it when they first began work on it, and how do they see it now that it's over? Audio commentaries, interviews, panel discussions — we discuss all of these through a bookending chat tracing it from the commentary for its very first episode, to Chibnall's debrief conversations over his first fan convention appearance following his era ending. We finish our series of exploring the commentaries of the Chibnall Era in a metacommentary looking at a new 2023 interview with Chibnall, the audio commentary for The Woman Who Fell to Earth, and coverage of the 2023 Gallifrey One fan convention. (00:00:00) Commentaries & conventions (00:04:17) THE WOMAN WHO FELL TO EARTH — representation (00:14:44) Spontaneity & acting (00:18:31) Pick-up shots & viewer immersion (00:41:27) 13th Doctor audition scene (00:53:38) Misunderstandings & sci-fi conventions (01:01:25) Attitudes towards spoilers (01:09:56) Timeless tangibility (01:18:39) Blame, Ryan, memory (01:28:36) CHIBNALL INTERVIEW — Reality Bomb, 2023 (01:37:17) Showrunner retroactive perspective (01:48:40) Community & therapy (01:57:10) Diversity, specificity, Chibnall's vision (02:09:25) Adoption narratives (02:38:20) Timeless Tecteun (03:05:21) Legacy, Aswok, continuity, readings (03:29:22) GALLIFREY ONE 2023 — fan conventions & fan framing (03:47:59) Clarifications & cataloguing (03:51:59) Chibnall interview from Gary Russell (04:18:03) The Power of the Doctor commentary (04:37:35) Jodie Whittaker panels (04:46:17) Chibnall on Writing for TV (04:51:32) Chibnall on Production Stories (05:10:57) Chibnall on 21st Century Production (05:13:45) The Halloween Apocalypse commentary (05:21:15) Final thoughts… Continue reading →

What's the future of the franchise? What sort of Doctor Who esoterica is out there? Could Doctor Who work as an animated show? How do our nationalities affect our experience of the show? How do the Eighth and Twelfth Doctor's storylines rhyme? We answer our Q&A questions focused on future plans, esoterica, franchise direction, & the most specific and in-depth questions we received overall. (00:00:00) Questions (00:01:40) Future shows to cover (00:10:59) Showrunner shows (00:15:05) Do-overs (00:19:38) Class & The Sarah Jane Adventures (00:22:32) Handling the Timeless Children + looking ahead (00:29:36) Introducing Nate + Nate's favourites (00:33:30) Doctor Who criticism books (00:40:16) Nationalities & opinions (00:50:09) Iris Wildthyme (00:53:29) Interesting Doctor Who esoterica (00:59:58) Animated Doctor Who (01:06:48) Eighth Doctor & Hell Bent comparisons (01:24:53) Will Doctor Who last forever? (01:29:20) Grinding Gig's gears (01:35:10) Genre shifts (01:42:39) Crossovers & culture (01:49:24) Watching behind-the-scenes material (02:05:28) Turn Left style episodes (02:09:11) Video games & the TV streaming crunch (02:17:43) Considerations & dreams (02:25:04) First fandoms (02:27:45) Final points & thanks… Continue reading →

Why did Murray Gold return as Doctor Who's composer? How did RTD2's first directors approach the 60th anniversary specials? What does the ready unveiling of the Fifteenth Doctor's 1960s costume tell us about how RTD approaches branding? What Murray Gold tracks best showcase how he approaches the show? What happened to the Thirteenth Doctor's sonic screwdriver? We explore these questions in a discussion of new RTD2 era interviews and discourses in the lead-up to the 60th anniversary specials and Series 14. We discuss Murray Gold's 2023 return interview, along with a range of specific music tracks, as well as interviews with Russell T Davies and other RTD2 creatives. We also look at The Sarah Jane Adventures-related discourse, the Doom's Day announcement, and the ongoing Fourteenth Doctor Liberation of the Daleks comic. (00:00:00) Recent events (00:03:42) Murray Gold returning (00:19:00) Franchise comparisons (00:23:09) Series 14's music (00:29:28) Gold and the writing (00:35:59) Murray's return interview (01:20:28) Favourite Murray Gold tracks (02:09:50) Press, plans, and costumes (02:18:08) 60th directors interview (02:33:01) Doom's Day announced (02:42:17) RTD anecdotes (02:47:07) Tech & prep (02:50:51) The Sarah Jane Controversies (03:06:29) Liberation of the Daleks comic, parts 5-7 (03:16:23) New and old hires (03:26:22) Other composers… Continue reading →

How should regeneration be handled? What's special about the TV format? What can Doctor Who never change? How should RTD2 handle companions? We answer our Q&A questions focused on matters ‘behind the scenes', regeneration responses, celebrity historicals, reconciling writer differences, interactive adventures, & much more! (00:00:00) Questions (00:01:49) Voices in a discussion (00:04:25) Pride, money, writing (00:07:27) Hot takes (00:12:01) Dropping Doctor Who + recantations (00:19:48) Chibnall's past work (00:25:18) Aesthetics & Bandersnatch (00:28:54) Choose-your-own-adventure Resolution (00:34:09) Sherlock osmosis (00:38:26) Recording sessions (00:46:06) Sherlock & future shows to cover (00:51:49) Collaborations (00:55:15) Recommendations (01:00:52) RTD2 paths forward (01:06:03) Introducing Oliver + Oliver's favourites (01:15:42) Extremis & video essays (01:24:46) TV specificity (01:37:12) Extremis video background (01:41:37) Rose & Clara regeneration responses (01:47:47) Celebrity historicals (01:52:31) More favourites (01:57:12) Covering the Capaldi Era (02:01:36) Were Clara and 12 romantic? (02:10:21) Anthology episodes… Continue reading →

Murder, repression, escapism, Britishness, politics — lots is at play in Steven Moffat's play the Unfriend. We discuss the play itself (including the differences between iterations), as well as where the play came from, the theatre experience, how the play sits in Moffat's career, and how the play has been received. (00:00:00) Approaching The Unfriend (00:04:38) Reading vs watching (00:23:45) Origin of the play (00:36:25) Reception & politics (00:45:12) Why a play? (00:50:44) Kinds of humour (00:55:21) Themes of the play (01:14:02) Murder, domesticity, The Unfriend, Inside Man (01:27:12) The neighbour (01:30:34) Differences between script versions (01:42:37) Memorable dialogue (01:49:53) Gags & characters (01:55:40) Final impressions… Continue reading →

What's the appeal of Doctor Who? What makes a favourite episode? What's intended in Hell Bent? What's in a good spinoff? We answer our Q&A questions focused on preferences, favourites, backgrounds, characters, RTD2, spinoffs, the UK, storytelling mediums, Torchwood, future marketing, fond memories, fan films, & more! (00:00:00) Questions (00:02:50) Appeal of Doctor Who (00:12:56) Fond memories & first impressions (00:19:51) Favourites (non Doctor Who) (00:24:17) Favourites (Doctor Who) (00:31:59) Favourite fan films (00:37:24) Dreams made & dashed + K9 (00:48:52) Favourite video games (00:54:20) Introducing Astra + Astra's favourites (00:59:58) Our backgrounds (01:02:07) Yaz, Thasmin, shipping, redemption (01:07:47) Torchwood & RTD2 spinoffs (01:28:21) Hell Bent intent & defence (01:46:50) Issues in the UK (01:56:38) Younger generation storytelling (02:24:44) Scotland & narratives (02:31:08) Doom & costuming (02:35:41) Q&A part 1 ending… Continue reading →

Questions. Queries. Quizzes about the Qurunx. Do you have any? We'd love to hear them! Who Cares has reached 1000 subscribers and 100+ uploads, so we're commemorating those milestones with a Q&A. Send in any questions you have — to us the hosts, Neo and Ingiga, or any of our friends that have appeared on Who Cares as well. Write your questions in the YouTube comments, or send them in privately here https://whocaresdw.wordpress.com/contact/ , or via Twitter to @Neo_WhoCares… Continue reading →

Luther moves into film in The Fallen Sun. What does that format bring to the series? How does the paratext of James Bond Idris Elba fancasting play into the actual film? How does the film shift our understanding of the show, and the ‘Luther Land' setting? How does making a standalone-ish film after five serialised TV seasons work? We delve into these questions, along with ‘red rooms', moral conundrums, character continuity, filmic setpieces, questions of recasting, Idris Elba's 2015 Luther short film/music video, and several interviews with Idris Elba, writer Neil Cross, director Jamie Payne, & more! (00:00:00) Form & format (00:03:56) Meaning of the title (00:13:50) Retcons/insertions into the show (00:24:26) Why a movie? (00:38:17) ‘I'm still a copper' + moral conundrums (00:48:12) James Bond, fancasting, intertextuality (01:05:24) Prison break setpiece + continuity & structure (01:15:51) Luther over London (01:19:48) Piccadilly Circus + Robey unveiling (01:48:37) Story about Luther + Luther themes (02:01:27) Potential second film + this film's ending (02:10:28) The ending (02:14:31) Luther Land (02:32:42) Alice + the coat (02:37:07) Odette, Catherine, Erin (02:47:07) Red Room (03:00:05) Schenk, Alice, Robey, tattooist (03:07:01) Recasting + Murdah Loves John short film (music video) (03:28:57) Neil Cross Independent interview (violence, gender, dreams) (03:40:36) Neil Cross Digital Trends interview (character development) (03:44:50) Neil Cross Radio Times interviews (Bond, Luther Land, Alice spinoff) (03:54:40) Neil Cross GQ interview (earlier ideas, anti-Alice) (03:59:56) Cars, art, helicopters, music (04:11:14) Closure… Continue reading →

For Luther, 2015 hosted a short fourth series, and an Idris Elba character concept album. 2019 presented a seemingly final series. What drove those episodes? What did those songs mean? Talks of a prequel film adaptation, to series 4 being a TV film, to series 5 being a final series before a film — why did the show shift in all these ways? How did Luther's character calcify across these series? What did Neil Cross mean by series 5's ending? What is ‘stage one' of the ‘Lutherverse'? We discuss all this, & much more! (00:00:00) Sporadic seasons (00:04:02) Series 4 interview (00:07:30) Series 4's structure (00:18:14) George Cornelius + cannibal killer (00:24:00) Cut scenes + Rose Leslie (00:30:22) Luther's return + creative friction (00:37:52) Benny in series 4 (00:41:48) Design juxtaposition + anticlimaxes (00:48:15) The clairvoyant + killer location (00:55:27) The John Luther Character Album (01:01:43) Murdah Loves John (01:08:40) Alice Loves (01:18:10) Wide Awake (01:25:18) Fires (01:28:39) Sinner Man (01:33:36) Paradise Circus (01:39:41) Finish Line (01:48:11) Bridges (01:51:38) Comic Relief skit in 2016 (02:01:01) Series 5's backstory for series 4 + moral provincialism (02:21:03) Series 5's opening + DS Halliday (02:28:13) The series 5 killers + parallels (02:35:40) Alice's nature (02:38:57) The bus killer + convergent arrivals (02:45:15) Alice & progression (02:55:44) Phase One of Luther + Alice spinoff (03:11:45) Series 5's ending (03:27:53) Luther getting colder + Benny, Mark, Catherine (03:32:46) Series 4, 5, & 6? + George & guns (03:39:09) Neil Cross: fears & future… Continue reading →

What is the story of Chibnall's era, in his own words? How did Chibnall see his job as showrunner? What is the arc of the Thirteenth Doctor, & what drove Chibnall to write it? What was putting Flux together under the pandemic like? What deeper meanings were behind the P'ting episode? We unpack these questions (and many more!) in a metacommentary looking at a new 2023 interview with Chibnall, the 2021 ‘Story Breakdown' video, and the audio commentaries for War of the Sontarans and The Tsuranga Conundrum. (00:00:00) Commentaries & convolution (00:05:42) WAR OF THE SONTARANS — pink planet (00:09:44) Sontarans on horses (00:11:07) Vinder's costume (00:18:22) Disparate Flux (00:20:24) World map plotting (00:21:37) Blood on Doctor Who (00:23:37) Captured in commentary (00:24:40) Jamie Magnus Stone & phones (00:28:27) Non-scripted combat (00:34:32) Reused sets (00:35:06) Thirteenth Doctor costuming (00:42:30) Mongolian inspiration (00:44:14) Sontaran staging (00:47:13) Karvanista reshoots (00:51:16) THE TSURANGA CONUNDRUM — the title (00:52:38) Doctor of Lego (00:57:13) Scientific speeches (01:04:33) Gender dynamics (01:14:29) Layers of meaning (01:29:38) CHIBNALL INTERVIEW — Radio Free Skaro, 2023 (01:32:12) Role of a showrunner (01:40:55) Diversity in Doctor Who + Timeless telos (02:03:43) Writers' rooms (02:19:03) Rosa Parks & Speed (02:25:20) Co-authoring scripts (02:28:50) Editing scripts (02:39:54) Less episodes of the show (02:47:47) Showrunner intent + festive specials (02:57:48) BBC treatment of Doctor Who + tangibility (03:14:27) Rumours, narratives, & K9 (03:19:12) Long-term plans + 60th anniversary (03:22:56) Pandemic & production (03:30:23) Series 13 possibilities (03:37:09) Spinoffs + summing up interview (03:48:10) FLUX STORY BREAKDOWN — novelty (03:52:57) Divison (03:54:18) Chibnall intent: arcs + emotional fallout (04:00:27) Finality (04:05:25) Tecteun + Timeless backstory (04:08:49) Emotional & psychological showdown (04:10:23) Mythic Doctor + dastardly Division (04:14:52) Evil experimentation (04:16:57) Explanations & imprecisions (04:20:41) Time & space (04:25:09) Motherhood & adoption (04:37:23) Literalised time (04:39:16) End of the Ravagers (04:42:32) Fob watch (04:44:40) Open to interpretation (04:48:45) Kicking the can (04:50:29) Ambiguity, identity, convolution… Continue reading →

The third series of Luther presented cracked mirrors of Idris Elba's title character, and broke down the core of the show in surprisingly conclusive ways. We discuss this early finality, along with Neil Cross ideology, the social role of TV, perverse fan pleasing, embracing comic book conventions, London verisimilitude, infectious ideas, British 'bubbles', middle class radicalism, Thomas Marwood as a character, the 'LutherTruther' movement, and much more. (00:00:00) Differences from S1 & S2 (00:05:49) The first two-parter + flowing on from S2 (00:11:02) Stark & Erin (00:17:19) Ripley & Barnaby (00:22:14) Character death + pillars of the show (00:31:38) Marwood (00:37:04) Finding peace, running away, loving murder (00:43:13) Luther as a priest (00:47:37) Fear in storytelling + appeal of the show (00:54:06) Scary moments in series 3 + Blade Runner blues (01:00:17) Generations + happy Luther + little Ripleys + Mary (01:06:07) Alice's characterisation (01:17:55) Marwood's characterisation + Luther morality (01:24:48) Skewed morality + moral convolutions (01:30:42) Marwood's life & politics (01:52:04) Police headquarters & Schenk (01:58:42) LutherTruther — show ending at series 3 (02:06:23) Neil Cross on form (novels & TV) (02:15:01) Neil Cross on novelists & writing (02:23:05) Neil Cross on espionage & current affairs (02:29:22) Neil Cross — strange anecdotes (02:37:40) Neil Cross on ideology (02:45:01) State tools & Southwark Bridge… Continue reading →

What does RTD think of younger generations of writers? What do his Star Trek comparisons tell us about how he sees spinoffs? Who ultimately 'owns' the show? Why do certain spinoff ideas persist? How new will RTD's new era be? How do we define 'good TV'? Why would a past showrunner return? We delve into these questions in a discussion of new Russell T Davies interviews and discourses in the lead-up to his second Doctor Who era. Along the way, we also look at the nature of different publications showrunners talk to, charitable & charitable readings, standards of TV quality, fans & the Fitzroy tavern, what makes Doctor Who unique compared to other franchises, & the ongoing Fourteenth Doctor Liberation of the Daleks comic. (00:00:00) Continuation & chaos (00:05:56) RTD eras: same or different? (00:08:46) The Times: context & RTD's approach (00:18:27) The Times: heritage & spinoffs (00:32:05) ‘They're rubbish' (00:40:16) Charitable & uncharitable readings (00:46:58) RTD critiquing TV (01:00:34) Fans, Fitzroy, ownership (01:18:24) Showrunner symbolism & authority (01:24:15) Surely Moffat would never come back! (01:29:41) The Independent: RTD & making way (01:34:58) Moffat & RTD on the showrunner role (01:47:49) Why & how RTD returned (01:58:30) Star Trek, spinoffs, & ‘the next stage” (02:07:02) Money & the Disney deal (02:16:12) Fan ideas for spinoffs (02:24:04) Era popularity & trailer timing (02:29:43) Liberation of the Daleks comic, part 4 (02:37:32) Doctor Who isn't like Star Wars… Continue reading →

Ephemeral culture, alienation & interconectivity, social function of TV, uncategorisability, mortality & posthumous 'final bows', contempt & gender, story generation, & more are discussed in this review of Nolly, the 2023 miniseries from Russell T Davies that serves as a tribute to Noele Gordon of the British soap Crossroads. (00:00:00) What we know of Crossroads (00:04:08) Experiences with soaps (00:10:25) Intimacy & social function of soaps (00:15:01) Who was Crossroads for? (00:17:27) Genesis of Nolly the show (00:24:58) Respect for soaps (00:27:49) Why RTD wrote this now (00:33:39) Mortality & legacy (00:38:45) Is the show too niche? (00:41:48) Tone & tribute (00:49:22) Uncategorisability (00:57:50) It's a Sin connections (01:00:38) Contempt & gender (01:07:34) RTD invoking MeToo (01:12:40) Character passivity (01:19:25) Poppy (01:31:01) Writers: ego & experience (01:38:29) Why Nolly was fired (01:42:50) Accents & dialogue delivery (01:52:53) Posthumous final bow (02:00:01) The Times + raised on TV (02:08:12) Doctor Who parallels (02:15:18) RTD's gestation periods (02:23:32) What has taken the place of soaps? (02:27:12) Resonances with the 80s + phrasing + cancellations (02:36:12) Passion for the past (02:38:50) RTD bookends… Continue reading →

What ideology drives Rosa? How does Spyfall conceive of history? What does it mean to blend the sci-fi butterfly effect with historical racism? What sort of scenes were cut from Rosa? What inspired Chibnall to write Spyfall? We explore these questions in a metacommentary unpacking the audio commentary tracks for Rosa, and Spyfall: Part One. Along the way, we discuss free association writing, social implications of multiverse fiction, politicised time travel, thematic incongruity, untenable social myths, narrative truisms, dollhouse conceptions of racism, decontextualisation, actionability, applicability, & more! (00:00:00) Rosa & Spyfall (00:02:19) Compartmentalised coverage + action & application (00:13:07) The slap + mindsets towards racism (00:22:39) G. F. B. (00:24:03) 13 & Bansky + Malorie Blackman interview (00:29:29) Companions & exposition (00:33:24) ‘I don't recognise anyone by that description' (00:35:24) Steve Jobs joke (00:36:17) Yaz and Ryan's racism discussion (00:44:05) ‘It's very largely a story about a bus' (00:45:45) Claudette Colvin + historical agency (00:54:51) Cut scene from Rosa + storytelling priorities (01:01:30) Martin Luther King's inclusion (01:02:53) Butterfly effect (01:10:08) Voting & loopholes (01:18:21) Krasko's departure (01:21:10) Alabama inaccuracy (01:22:04) Rise Up (01:26:02) Asteroids & agency (01:30:25) Malorie Blackman's research (01:35:44) Spyfall: Part One + basketball (01:39:15) Genesis of Spyfall (01:46:43) Tosin Cole's acting addition (01:48:02) ADR & scripting tangles (01:51:46) Continuity & inconsistencies (01:52:56) Yaz and the Master's flirtation (01:54:59) Sacha Dhawan's range (01:57:27) Multiverse fiction & fake agency (02:10:23) Outro… Continue reading →

How did Luther change in series 2? Crime mythology, dadcore storytelling, Alice magnetism, brazen corruption, illicit fun, video game killers, endearing moral disinterest, fandom-building, & more are discussed as we look at the second series of Luther, Neil Cross' detective show starring Idris Elba and Ruth Wilson. (00:00:00) Differences from series 1 (00:11:58) Character development in series 2 (00:14:55) Jenny + paternal Luther (00:19:39) Male fantasy characters (00:24:45) Ripley + Erin (00:32:44) High stakes + Mark returning (00:36:31) London & Gotham (00:41:27) Flowing on from series 1's ending (00:47:06) British context of airing (00:51:59) London crime (00:54:21) Strata of time + dead city killer (01:01:10) Serial killer mythologising + cretinised culture (01:07:07) Luther healing, Alice surprises, ‘one last ride' (01:10:43) Alice & Luther magnetism + moral disinterest (01:18:07) Narcissism & Luther (01:29:23) Luther's new London flat + Mark's safehouse (01:35:06) Fandoms & popularity: mysticism, opportunities, genre (01:54:02) Idris Elba + Luther without/before Alice (02:00:00) Idris Elba's input + 2011 context (02:05:39) S2 songs, bookends, ending (02:13:31) Final showdown + Cross & video games (02:20:31) Toby & Jenny + murder & Luther (02:25:21) Jenny's character (02:28:44) The twins reveal (02:33:43) London gangsters + leaving the police (02:35:41) The service station scene (02:39:52) Humiliation, ringing phones, microexpressions (02:43:07) Backstory for Jenny's family (02:44:55) Overall series 2 thoughts… Continue reading →

What is Disney & Doctor Who's new relationship? Where is RTD taking the show now? What gets confused, & what gets clarified, between production & fandom? New interviews are scoured, as we make sense of the development of the second era of Russell T Davies. Discourse with the Doctor, mechanics of misinformation, empire-building, saviour complexes, demystification, & the Liberation of the Daleks are just some of the topics discussed within! (00:00:00) Discourse with the Doctor (00:03:38) Dissemination of info (00:07:04) Liverpool lesions, & mechanics of misinformation (00:22:11) Liverpool legions, & what RTD actually said (00:32:14) Captain Jack in A Good Man Goes To War (00:47:49) Disney (00:51:28) RTD + producers interview (00:57:13) Russell required + selling Doctor Who (01:06:54) Disney, Davies, David (01:11:14) ‘It's really completely normal' + spinoffs (01:28:50) Empire building (01:34:17) Notes from Disney (01:42:55) RTD's issues with Disney (01:52:27) Viewing activism & politicisation (02:05:22) RTD2's genesis + ‘I'm needed' (02:18:20) Spinoffs with past Doctors + incumbent sanctity (02:28:50) ‘I'm not going back' + Mavic Chen (02:51:40) Kate, Gwilliam, Slug (02:56:34) Ruby, the new companion (03:02:17) Liberation of the Daleks (parts 2 and 3) (03:08:09) Outro… Continue reading →

What makes Tesla & Demons distinct from other Chibnall Era episodes? How did their writers approach historicals? What were the contrasts and tensions within S11 & S12? We explore these questions in a metacommentary unpacking the audio commentary tracks for Nikola Tesla's Night of Terror, and Demons of the Punjab. Along the way, we discuss tensions in historicals, earlier structures, clashes within series, power of storytelling, scriptwriting styles, producer input, commentaries from other shows, Graham whispering, & more!… Continue reading →

What was cut from Spyfall, and why? Why did Chibnall include, and mindwipe, Noor Inayat Khan and Ada Lovelace? What did he want viewers to do after watching? We explore these questions in a metacommentary unpacking the audio commentary track for Spyfall: Part Two. Along the way, we discuss phonewatching, historical agency, delayed gratification, additive iconography, educational remits, thematic irony, technological themes, fandom appeals to authority, & more!… Continue reading →

Experimental formats, the ‘War on Christmas', greener grass, fatalistic myopia, the nature of satire, ergodic literature, silliness vs seriousness, embedded narratives, & more are explored in this discussion over Flip-Flop, the 2003 Doctor Who Christmas audio drama.… Continue reading →