Podcasts about Paradise Towers

The Story That Beats Coronation Street (But Divides the Hosts) Stephen Wyatt returns after Paradise Towers to deliver a circus-themed finale to Season 25. Expanded from three parts to four at John Nathan Turner's request, this story follows the Doctor and Ace arriving at the psychic circus on the planet Seganax—except Ace hates circuses, and the Doctor seems unusually fascinated by performance, danger, and magic. It wins over behind-the-sofa panelists and pulls the highest ratings of McCoy's entire run (beating Coronation Street for the first time), yet one host finds it compelling while the other considers it nearly unwatchable. What makes the difference? Production Under Impossible Circumstances The asbestos discovery that plagued Silver Nemesis forced this finale into a makeshift tent rigged in the parking lot. The budget is visibly exhausted by this point, yet the production team managed to secure Jeffrey Durham (The Great Soprendo) as the first magic consultant since 1977 to coach McCoy in juggling. The explosion sequence near McCoy was supposed to be blown air with added effects—until last-minute testing showed it looked unconvincing, so they switched to live pyrotechnics without telling the lead actor. He didn't blink on set because he believed there wouldn't be a retake. The Doctor's Behavior: A Fundamental Divide One host sees a character temporarily set aside his usual competence for story purposes. The other sees the Doctor acting like a completely different person—gullible, clumsy, silly, and uncharacteristically unable to read situations. The proactive crime-fighter from Remembrance and The Happiness Patrol has vanished, replaced by someone who falls into obvious traps and does pratfalls. McCoy's physical comedy training makes the juggling work, but does the writing serve the character he's been becoming over the last three stories? The Satire Cuts Both Ways Whiz Kid represents fandom—earnest, excited, devoted to the circus's history. His reward is a cruel, unnecessary death played as harsh comedy. What's the point of making fun of fans, especially when the message seems to be that fans should be punished for their devotion? Meanwhile, the real family in the audience—who turn out to be the Gods of Ragnarok—are abstract divine beings demanding entertainment. Who is the story really criticizing? A Pantheon Problem The Gods of Ragnarok are named after Norse mythology's apocalypse, yet they look almost Egyptian with their eye-based design. They get referenced later in New Who (specifically with the Fifteenth Doctor), which raises the question: did this story earn that future callback, or does the massive concept introduced in Part Four feel tacked on? What does naming them after Ragnarok actually accomplish? Character Choices Captain Cook is largely despised—a manipulative bore whose presence never makes sense. Mags is the victim of a rushed werewolf transformation that doesn't commit to either wolf or cat form. Kingpin is confusingly established as the former circus leader, but the revelation lands without impact. Bellboy's name suggests something, but what? The food cart lady exists to expose hippies. Meanwhile, the Chief Clown—sinister, physically controlled, genuinely threatening—stands out as the most interesting antagonist, but even he doesn't quite fit the larger story. Does a Four-Part Circus Need to Be This Long? The production feels stretched, relying on repetitive moments (running through quarries, hiding in tents, escaping robots) that feel interchangeable by Part Three. Could this have been told in three parts? Would removing redundant sequences have tightened the narrative? Does the extended runtime serve the story, or does it expose the thinness of the plot? Production Highlights: Music: First original song for Doctor Who since The Gunfighters (1966). Performed by Rico Ross, who played Private Frost in Aliens. Magic Consultant: Jeffrey Durham (The Great Soprendo)—first since Talons of Weng Chiang (1977) Guest Star: Jessica Martin (Mags) returns to the role in Big Finish and will later play Queen Elizabeth in Voyage of the Damned Ratings: 5.0–5.3–4.8–6.6 (the finale pulls the highest numbers of McCoy's entire run) Coming Up Next: Friday (Patreon): Doctor Who: The Ultimate Adventure (1989 stage production with John Pertwee—the clearest footage available on YouTube). Following Wednesday (Main Feed): Colin Baker retrospective (hiatus episode). Jim's Links: Big Top Tales Anthology - https://www.amazon.com/Big-Top-Tales-Nicholas-Ahlhelm/dp/1522700226 Pulp Fest Convention - http://www.pulpfest.com/ Hashtags: #DoctorWho #GreatestShowInTheGalaxy #Season25Finale #SylvesterMcCoy #SophieAldred #CircusStory #GodsOfRagnarok #StephenWyatt #ClassicWho #HostDisagreement #DoctorWhoPodcast

The whiplash is immediate and brutal. After the triumph of "Remembrance of the Daleks," this three-part story lands like a thud. Jim gives another harsh —an unprecedented score that suggests something fundamentally broken beneath the surface. Despite strong performances from McCoy and Aldred, the story struggles with disconnected thematic elements, confused production design, and a narrative that never quite coheres. The Setup That Doesn't Work Terra Alpha: an Earth colony where mandatory happiness enforced through surveillance and a cheerful Happiness Patrol keeps citizens compliant. The story also includes a candy-obsessed killer, underground dwellers (indigenous inhabitants driving plot devices), a visiting blues musician, and a complex political hierarchy. None of these elements integrate coherently. Jim's assessment: This is Paradise Towers revisited, but worse. Same drab corridors masquerading as streets, same societal oppression, same everything-we've-seen-before feeling, but without even Paradise Towers' redeeming visual moments. The Candyman Disaster Originally planned as a human villain—just a bored, pale killer. JNT and director Chris Clough wanted a robot instead. The result: an uncomfortable costume that restricted the actor's movement and visibility, made the character nonsensical, and looked rushed and disconnected from every other design element on set. The production nearly got sued by a candy company for the character's visual design. , Tonal Chaos The story can't decide what it wants to be. Satirical critique of authoritarian happiness? Straight thriller? Comedic romp? It tries all three and masters none. The mime-like makeup on the Happiness Patrol's faces goes unexplained. The slot machine execution method appears once, then switches to fondant surprise. These aren't deepening themes—they're random design choices. McCoy and Aldred Carry the Load Both hosts agree the leads transcend the material. McCoy's ad-libbed singing of "As Time Goes By" shows theatrical training and improvisational instinct. Aldred proves her action credentials and moral agency—the Doctor actively investigating rather than stumbling into danger. Yet even their chemistry can't save disconnected storytelling. John's specific note: the Doctor telling Ace "You're no good to me like this" when she's about to attack—character development that deserves better context. Production Quirks The TARDIS gets painted pink by the Happiness Patrol, requiring repainting back to blue. The sets feel claustrophobic despite supposedly being outside on streets. The behind-the-sofa guests (except McCoy, Aldred, and Sheila Hancock) admitted the story didn't work. Ratings dropped after Episode One (5.3M to 4.6M to bounce back to 5.3M). The Political Subtext Nobody Asked For Sheila Hancock (Helen A) read the script as Margaret Thatcher allegory and deliberately amplified her performance toward that direction. Andrew Cartmel apparently got nervous about the comparison; Hancock pushed harder into it. John appreciates the subtext; Jim dismisses it as irrelevant to the story itself. The political commentary doesn't enhance the narrative—it distracts from already-muddled plotting. What Could Have Worked Discussion of road-not-taken choices: What if they'd fully integrated Ace into the Happiness Patrol with brainwashing elements? What if the candy theme permeated every design choice instead of being isolated to the Candyman? What if this story had followed something other than the series' strongest episode? The Colin Baker Question Jim wonders aloud how Colin Baker might have handled this material—would his more theatrical approach have elevated the chaos or made it worse? Speculation on whether "Happiness Patrol" appears in any of the audio continuations (especially with alternate Doctors). Coming Up Next: Monday Patreon Exclusive 173: Music, Memory TARDIS, Doctor Who Unbound audio "Full Fathom Five," and comics—"Time and Tide" and "Follow That TARDIS!" Wednesday Main Feed (Friday Patreon Early): "Silver Nemesis" - the ACTUAL 25th Anniversary story (three parts). Jim handles narration. Will it recover from Happiness Patrol? Hashtags: #DoctorWho #TheHappinessPatrol #Season25 #SylvesterMcCoy #SophieAldred #McCoyEra #SheiliaHancock #Candyman #TerrAlpha #ParadiseTowersPart2 #ClassicWho #DoctorWhoPodcast #WorstMcCoyStory #FromRembranceToRegression

Stephen Wyatt and Sean Mason join us at Capitol to talk about their new comic sequel to Paradise Towers – …Continue reading →

Jim and John find common ground after their Paradise Towers divide, both celebrating the three-part structure as potentially perfect for Doctor Who storytelling. The story features 1950s nostalgia, holiday camp hijinks, and Stubby Kaye from Guys and Dolls. The Relief Factor: After Paradise Towers' evisceration, John feared the worst. Jim's verdict: "It's no Paradise Towers" (thankfully). Discussion of whether you can go lower than a 1 rating and what "having a nice time" means for Doctor Who evaluation. Three Parts: The Perfect Length?: Extended discussion of whether three episodes might be the ideal Doctor Who story format. They've said it before but only really had one three-parter to judge by (Planet of Giants). Jim credits the economy of three parts for helping this story—nothing wasted, though some backstory needed filling in. Question raised: why not make the entire 14-episode season consistent lengths instead of mixing two four-parters with two three-parters? Production Context: Written by Malcolm Kohll (first Doctor Who story). Directed by Chris Clough (Terror of the Vervoids, Ultimate Foe, upcoming Dragonfire, Happiness Patrol, Silver Nemesis). Original title: "The Flight of the Chimeron." Shot almost entirely on location at Butlin's Barry Island holiday camp in Wales (rats forced crew to abandon staying there after two nights). Interior shots done first for once because next story (Dragonfire) is entirely in studio. Ken Dodd (intergalactic tollmaster) took role to dig at tax revenue service investigating him—they discovered over £300,000 unclaimed in his home but he was acquitted. The Stubby Kaye Question: Jim's jaw-dropping moment: recognizing Stubby Kaye from Guys and Dolls (Nicely Nicely Johnson, "Sit Down You're Rocking the Boat"). He was 69 in 1987, 32 when the Broadway show opened in 1950, 37 in the 1955 film. Extended discussion of how an American actor wound up in Doctor Who—was he living in England? Did he do multiple British productions? Also appeared in Who Framed Roger Rabbit the following year as voice of editor. Paired with Morgan Deare (American actor) whose "terrible" accent made Jim think he was British doing bad American Southern/Western accent. Both actors somewhat superfluous to story. Weissmuller and Hawk characters had larger role in uncut version involving the satellite subplot. The Ray Factor: Sarah Griffiths as Ray was being tested as potential new companion because Bonnie Langford was thinking of leaving. Sophie Aldred auditioned for this role but didn't get it—instead cast as Ace for next story, which worked in her favor. Jim didn't identify Ray as potential companion (first time in long time he missed that cue). Malcolm Kohll created character but signed waiver making her BBC property since JNT/Cartmel came up with basic idea of girl who could fix anything with right tool. Lynn Gardner was original actress but injured herself practicing motorcycle riding, so Sarah Griffiths got role. McCoy Development Moments: John identifies key character growth: McCoy showing appreciation for simple things like Burton the camp director's life. Monologue to Gavrok about life defeating those who deal in death—Jim thought this might be quotable Doctor speech. Jim still waiting for something to quantify McCoy as distinct from previous six Doctors: The Interspecies Romance: Billy drinks Chimeron nutrient solution to become one of Delta's people so he can leave with her and the princess to restart the race. The Villain Problem: Gavrok (Don Henderson, who was General Tagge in original Star Wars) and Bannermen lack clear motivation. Backstory existed but cut for time: Bannermen invaded Chimeron homeworld because they'd made ecological mess of their own worlds. Mel Forgotten: By final action sequence, Mel almost completely absent. Stands holding Bannerman weapon in macho pose at end "as if she had a big part in rounding up those guys" but didn't. Bonnie's decision to leave not story-based but timing: "never intended to be long-term player, felt it was right time to go." Only 20 episodes across six stories makes her one of briefest companions. Didn't do convention circuit until last 15-20 years; now enthusiastic about return in New Who. Production Details: Chimeron baby played by 3-4 different children (teenage princess not interviewed for Blu-ray despite being old enough) Green makeup question: females outgrow green skin? Delta has "very slight greenish cast" only visible at end Baby in green onesie looks ridiculous Effects with bus and TARDIS "pretty bad" but Bannermen ship landing "nicely done" Loved the vintage bus itself (appropriate for 1959) Beekeeper character adds to already massive cast Final shot: beekeeper's impish grin as TARDIS disappears (Chris Clough will repeat this in Dragonfire) Cast and Crew Favorite: Despite acknowledging it's not a great story, cast and crew enjoyed nostalgia of 50s holiday camps and had fun making it. Ratings consistent: 5.3, 5.1, 5.4. The Cartmel Philosophy: Andrew Cartmel doesn't like interior TARDIS scenes so "we're not gonna see the console room much moving forward." Jim outraged: "inane... good writing doesn't drag a scene down." Discussion of lost opportunities for insightful TARDIS interactions. The New Who Question: Public call-out asking if listeners want them to continue past TV Movie into New Who (Eccleston era). Multiple positive responses received. Shag's thoughtful response: only continue if you find joy in it, not worth 20 years of episodes without happiness. John notes RTD1 was "glorious time for Doctor Who" with fandom mostly united (unlike RTD2 era). Discussion of callbacks, slow beginning like Star Trek TNG's moratorium on mentioning Vulcans. Both agree putting themselves in companion's shoes helps—did they feel sad leaving this world? Yes for Delta, unlike Paradise Towers. Coming Up Next: Monday on Patreon Feed - Music, Memory TARDIS and a look at the first Sylvester McCoy appearance in the comics with "A Cold Day in Hell". Friday on Patreon Feed (Monday for the main feed) - Season 24 finale, "Dragonfire" - the introduction of Ace, which John will narrate. Hashtags: #DoctorWho #DeltaAndTheBannermen #SylvesterMcCoy #SeventhDoctor #Mel #BonnieLangford #StubblyKaye #GuysAndDolls #1950sNostalgia #HolidayCamp #ThreePartStory #KenDodd #ChrisClaw #Season24 #Chimeron #Bannermen #RayNotAce #SophieAldred #InterspeciesRomance #WagnerianOpera #ChuckJones #ClassicWho #NewWhoQuestion #DoctorWhoPodcast

Jim and John experience their most polarizing disagreement since the Colin Baker era as Paradise Towers splits them into opposing camps—Jim delivering a devastating 1 out of 15 ("a Billy") while John counters with an enthusiastic 14 out of 15, declaring it his favorite story of Season 24 and a formative influence on his understanding of world building as a young writer. The Ratings Chasm: Final scores: Jim 1, John 14, averaging to 7.5—perfectly appropriate for a story that divides straight down the middle. Jim places Paradise Towers at "Romans level bad," his first 1 rating in years, possibly ever. John acknowledges flaws but insists "I adore this. It's the best [of the season] to me. The next two aren't as good." Jim's Bewilderment: "It just had no idea what it wanted to be." Jim struggles through four parts feeling lost, bewildered, and unable to take anything seriously. The story veers wildly between dark humor and slapstick, feels like Monty Python meets children's television, and presents concepts (cannibal grannies, color-coded gangs, killer cleaning robots) that never cohere into a satisfying whole. He literally took no notes during Part 2 because he was too disconnected. The Kangs' rapid-fire accents and gang-speak were incomprehensible. The music sounds stolen from Donkey Kong or Pac-Man. Richard Briers' performance left Jim feeling "embarrassed for him." John's Passionate Defense: "This is my favorite of the season... This story as a young 17, 18, 19-year-old person trying his hand at writing finally started to click and say, 'That's what world building is all about.'" John goes against fandom consensus by loving Richard Briers' portrayal, appreciating the rule book escape scene as "absolutely brilliant," and embracing the tone as intentionally campy satire of bureaucracy, hierarchies, and dystopian societies. The Batman Season Revelation: John drops the word he's been holding back all season: "campy." He dubs Season 24 "the Batman season"—meaning Batman's infamous campy third season with Nora Clavicle, flat painted backdrops, and wind-up mice. Jim initially resists but eventually concedes: "Yeah, this is clavicle level." Discussion of JNT's continued obsession with stunt-casting notable British TV stars (Richard Briers was a huge get; Ken Dodd is coming next story). Production Context: Stephen Wyatt wrote episode one in a week without knowing the ending or who would play the Doctor (McCoy not yet cast). Inspired by J.G. Ballard's dystopian novel High-Rise. First story Andrew Cartmel commissioned as script editor. Director Nicholas Mallett loved McCoy's malleability and openness to improv versus Baker's by-the-script approach. BBC Head of Drama Jonathan Powell (not a Who fan) praised the script. Ratings: 4.5, 5.2, 5.0, 5.0—about even with McCoy's other stories. Jim's Specific Complaints: Cannot understand what the Kangs are saying half the time due to rapid delivery and thick accents. Doctor and Mel spend more time apart than any previous story. Sets look like existing ones dirtied up with garbage and wall scrawl. Killer cleaning robots are laughably unthreatening with cartoon buzzsaws—"I could outrun those things any day of the week even if I wasn't feeling well." Video game music drowns out dialogue. Cannibalism appears and disappears without explanation. Why are Tilda and Tabby's cozy apartment untouched by dystopia? Why does Kroagnon need to eat people when he's a machine? Where are all the boys? Why is it all women (Kangs, Rezzies) versus all men (Caretakers)? John's Counterpoints: The rule book escape scene demonstrates the Doctor using the Caretakers' rigid bureaucracy against them—"absolutely brilliant." Richard Briers is proud of ignoring direction and doing what he wanted; interviews on Blu-ray show he has no regrets. The jerky movements after Kroagnon takes his body represent rigor mortis setting in. Clive Merrison (Deputy Caretaker) played the pilot Jim in "Tomb of the Cybermen." The tone is intentionally satirical—mocking rule books, procedures, hierarchies in very British Monty Python style. Behind the Sofa Revelations: Three different commentary teams watched: Sylvester McCoy/Bonnie Langford/Sophie Aldred; Peter Davison/Sarah Sutton/Janet Fielding; Colin Baker/Michael Jayston. Colin and Peter both declared it one of their favorites so far—disappointing Jim but validating John. Bonnie had little to say either way. Pool filmed at private house with freezing water—Bonnie's stunt double did most shots because Bonnie can't swim (redheads apparently don't know how to swim, Jim claims) and the water was unbearably cold. Camera crew in wetsuits couldn't last more than 45 minutes. The McCoy Question: Jim still doesn't know what to think of McCoy. Not engaged, not seeing the cantankerous fellow promised. The R-rolling is Scottish, not an affectation. The left-handed handshakes are unexplained. Still no clear sense of the Doctor-Mel relationship since they're separated the entire story. John insists McCoy's performance improves with better scripts in Season 25 once Ace arrives. The New Who Question: Jim and John publicly ask listeners: should The Doctor's Beard continue into New Who after finishing Classic Who and the TV Movie? They've brought on new listeners recently and want to know if the audience wants Eccleston era coverage or if it's "too new" for Classic Who purists. Email your yes/no vote to thedoctorsbeardpodcast@gmail.com. Mel Scream Count: Screams #10, #11, #12. Less than Time and the Rani but still plenty. Coming Up Next: Patreon Exclusive (Monday - Episode 168): Colin Baker's final Doctor Who Magazine comic story "The World Shapers" written by Grant Morrison (three parts), Memory TARDIS spin, more music discussion. Main Feed (Friday) & Patreon (Monday): "Delta and the Bannermen" - Jim handling narration for the three-part story. Already started watching because he's driving to Ithaca College convention and losing three days of viewing time. Hashtags: #DoctorWho #ParadiseTowers #SylvesterMcCoy #SeventhDoctor #Mel #TheGreatDivide #PolarOpinions #JimHatesIt #JohnLovesIt #1Versus14 #BatmanSeason #RichardBriers #Kangs #Caretakers #Rezzies #Kroagnon #CampyWho #StephenWyatt #AndrewCartmel #Season24 #BuildHighForHappiness #FaultyTowers #NewWhoQuestion #ClassicWho #DoctorWhoPodcast

The Doctor and Mel's plans to go to a scenic resort tower go awry when the find it in a complete state of disrepair with the tenants split off into factions in a fight for survival. This week, Paddy and Tricia watch as The Doctor and Mel get separated and are forced to try and survive both factional warfare and the despotic rule of the caretakers of the building. Can they discover the true nature of the dark force working behind the scenes that seeks to destroy the Paradise Towers?

Hey, Who fans and welcome to the [Month] Round Table!Hey, Who fans! This month Garry is joined by Harry and Matt to have a chat about the infamous Seventh Doctor story "Paradise Towers" as, quite incredibly, neither Matt nor Harry had seen this story before!We also chat about our recent adventures at Whooverville 16, a Doctor Who convention in Derby, where the camaraderie among fans truly shone through.This is The Big Blue Box PodcastJoin us each week for a new episode every Friday from your hosts Garry and Adam. We talk news, reviews, commentaries and general chat on everything Doctor Who PLUS listen to our monthly Round Table episodes with the whole team. Check out our website where you can also listen to all of our episodes for free along with the amazing reviews and articles from our writing team.Follow us on the socialsCome and get involved and chat Who between episodes on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. We also have a free Discord server for you to hop in and chat with other like-minded Who fans.Thank you for listening to this episode and remember to follow the podcast on your fav podcast app so you don't miss an episode when they drop every Friday (or pop over here for links to all the popular podcast platforms).Have a fantastic week and until next time remember... Aaaaaaaaaaallons-y!

Red Kangs are the Best! But Paradise Towers is the Worst!Dan & Si try really hard to find something positive about a story that has awful acting, terrible robots, a crap companion, woeful side characters, and even a silver Hitler.Mel wants a swim, some old ladies want meat, and the lads want to never watch this again!FOLLOW US!@TheDrWhoPod@SJPWORLDMEDIA@DanGriffin21

Red Kangs are the Best! But Paradise Towers is the Worst!Dan & Si try really hard to find something positive about a story that has awful acting, terrible robots, a crap companion, woeful side characters, and even a silver Hitler.Mel wants a swim, some old ladies want meat, and the lads want to never watch this again!FOLLOW US!@TheDrWhoPod@SJPWORLDMEDIA@DanGriffin21

One of the joys of reading a novelization is reliving a story that you've always loved. Another joy of reading a novelization is not having to see the things you despised in a story that you've always hated. Come join Tony Whitt, Alyson Fitch-Safreed, and Dalton Hughes as they discuss how PARADISE TOWERS fits the latter category more than the former. Build High for Happiness! We are a proud part of the Direction Point Podcast Network, including such fine shows as THE DOCTOR WHO COLLECTORS PODCAST, THE POLICE BOX IN A JUNKYARD PODCAST, and TIMESTREAMS. You can check out these and other podcasts in the network at http://www.directionpoint.org! If you like what you hear, please come visit our Patreon page! It's at https://www.patreon.com/DWTargetBC. If you decide to support us in our ongoing effort to discuss all of the DOCTOR WHO novelizations, you'll be able to choose a gift! Contributing at any level gets you our extras! Visit the site for more details! We also have a book discussion group of our very own on Goodreads! It can be found at the link below. If you want to have your question, discussion, or review of a given book read aloud by us, simply join the group, post your response to the group by the given deadline, and we will see it! Also, feel free to follow us on the social media accounts listed below, or subscribe to us via the podcast provider of your choice. You can also email us at the email address given at the end of the episode with the phrase “Target Book Club” in the subject line! Thanks as always to Ron Schiding for our podcast logo and artwork, and to Dalton Hughes for the editing! Our new theme: DalekWho1963 - https://youtu.be/DoJIQ5dGLkQ?si=UYXahrgSVmJqUAqJ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DoctorWhoTargetBookClubPodcast Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/doctorwhotargetbc/ Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/dwtargetbc.bsky.social iTunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/doctor-who-target-book-club-podcast/id1195364046?see-all=reviews SoundCloud: https://soundcloud.com/doctorwhotargetbc TuneIn: https://tunein.com/podcasts/Fantasy--Science-Fiction-Podc/Doctor-Who-Target-Book-Club-Podcast-p957128/ Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/group/show/710804-doctor-who-target-book-club-podcast The DIRECTION POINT Doctor Who Podcast Network: https://directionpoint.org/

Joe & Michael head to Paradise Towers for a stay in its gleaming pools, squares and towers! Welcomed by contentious caretakers, kindly residents and sweet girl gangs. And a world class sauna in the basement...

There's no hiding the fact that John Nathan-Turner is one of the most controversial figures in the history of Doctor Who. As the show's producer from 1980-1989, he cast three Doctors, a host of companions, and became a fixture at conventions on both sides of the Atlantic. However, Richard Marson's biography revealed a darker side to John and his partner Gary Downie, as JNT suffered from an alcohol addiction in later life, when he struggled to find work. This struggle features in a play, Me and Him and Who, written by Stephen Wyatt - author of Paradise Towers and The Greatest Show in the Galaxy - which is being performed next week. Dave and Kenny discuss John and his legacy, and are joined by Stephen to talk about the John and Gary he knew. Find out more at https://www.fatsoma.com/e/7jir2f8n/me-and-him-and-who

Happy American Thanksgiving to my listeners in the States. For a Sylvester McCoy novelization on Doctor Who Literature, ya gotta have two guests, not just one. Jim Sangster and Jason Davis, both huge behind-the-scenes influences on the show, come together for the first time as we tackle Paradise Towers, the second serial from Doctor Who's controversial, divisive -- and delightful -- 24th season. The vocals for this week's opening number are by Antony Owen. Music arranged by Jim Sangster. Please visit Jason Davis at Humanity Is My Business and consider supporting his Patreon. An interview with J.G. Ballard. If you enjoyed this episode, please follow, subscribe, and rate us Find Doctor Who Literature at https://linktr.ee/DrWhoNovels. Watch this episode and all previous episodes on YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/@drwhonovels. "Doctor Who – Paradise Towers" features cover art by Alister Pearson. Doctor Who Literature is a member of the Direction Point Doctor Who podcast network. Please e-mail the pod at DrWhoLiterature@gmail.com. You can catch all past episodes at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/doctorwholit.

Beware the very slow cleaning robots in the second story of season 24. All Mel wants to do is visit the swimming pool. What IS happening at Paradise Towers?

For this week we are going back to the Jazz Age, with Doctor Who-specific musical accompaniment by Jim Sangster. Our Doctor Who Literature guest this week is Steven B., who you can find at the New To Who podcast, The Three-Handed Game: An Avengers Podcast, and Reimagining Doctor Who. Among several other Doctor Who podcast episodes cited in this week's episode, you can find: --Steven B.'s appearance on The Library of Impossible Things; --Jason's Black Orchid appearance on the Doctor Who Target Book Club Podcast; and --Jason's appearance on A Kettle and some String; And please enjoy the following two linked articles, both relevant to this week's DWLit episode: --James Cooray Smith discusses Paradise Towers and the casting of Sylvester McCoy as the Doctor; and --A Nerdist interview with Steven Moffat on the writing of the newest Doctor Who episode at the time that this episode was released: Boom. If you enjoyed this episode, please follow, subscribe, and rate us! Watch this episode and all previous episodes on YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/@drwhonovels "Doctor Who – Black Orchid" features cover art by Tony Masero. Doctor Who Literature is a member of the Direction Point Doctor Who podcast network. Please e-mail the pod at DrWhoLiterature@gmail.com. You can catch all past episodes at htt s://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/doctorwholit --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/doctorwholit/message

It's less than one week until Doctor Who enters a new era on Disney+ and BBC iPlayer, and the Disney+ money machine has been busy bussing Ncuti Gatwa and Millie Gibson all around New York City to promote the show, look generally gorgeous wearing many different looks, and riding a Doctor Who-themed NYC subway car! There's also chatter about Doctor Who: Unleashed, the TARDIS at Disneyland, theatre productions, and more, with our friend Sarah Murphy sitting in as guest host! Links: Support Radio Free Skaro on Patreon Ncuti and Millie on Good Morning America Ncuti and Millie on ABC News Ncuti Gatwa on “Late Night with Seth Meyers” Ncuti Gatwa and Millie Gibson on their “great chemistry”, loving Jon Pertwee and the future of Doctor Who Rolling Stone: ‘It's About Time': Ncuti Gatwa on Becoming the New Face of ‘Doctor Who' “Space Babies” airs at 6:20pm on BBC One; “The Devil's Chord” at 7:05pm on May 11 Ncuti Gatwa's Message to the Fans Doctor Who segment on Blue Peter airing May 10 Doctor Who star Ncuti Gatwa set for Madame Tussauds Ncuti Gatwa appearing in “The Importance Of Being Earnest” from November-January Paul Cornell awarded Terrance Dicks Award for lifetime achievement in Doctor Who writing Big Finish: Doctor Who – The Lost Stories: Deathworld due July 2024 Big Finish: The Doctor's Daughter returns for four new adventures in October Companions: Sixty Years of Doctor Who Assistants due later in 2024 Ice Hot, a collection of stories set in Paradise Towers, coming May 20 The Incomparable 714: You Can't Protect People From Doctor Who Andrew Orton YouTube Guest: Sarah Murphy Is It Camp?

Joe & Dan; 'You couldn't even design a simple doorknob!' How does this plot all come together - with all the factions joining forces to defeat the evil Kroagnon of course! We watch as this script completes its journey very neatly.

Joe & Dan; 'I am Kroagnon, the Great Architect, and I will put an end to you and everyone in Paradise Towers!' The plot starts to coalesce beautifully, the Doctor is pulling all the threads together and Kroagnon reveals his hand.

Joe & Dan; 'Build High for Happiness!' Episode two and we're seeing a Doctor form before our eyes, much discussion of Richard Briers as the Chief Caretaker and how do we feel about that dark fairytale cliffhanger?

Joe & Dan; 'Well you never can tell...' It's the dawn of a bold new era. Out with the camp, in with the urban comic book thriller. Maybe quite a bit of camp still. But brilliant worldbuilding, dialogue and an awesome Doctor emerging.

the doctor and mel decide to take a trip to paradise towers a luxury apartment complex with a grandose swimming pool but when they arrive they find not is all its seems as the tower block is dialect and conflict persists between rival gangs furthermore killer cleaning robots patrol the hall and a secret in the basement poses a great threat this is paradise towers welcome to regenerated why not take a look at our social media and give us a review on Apple Podcasts merchandise -https://teespring.com/en-GB/stores/regenerated facebook - www.facebook.com/regenerateddoctorwhopodcast/ twitter - twitter.com/Regenerated1963

Charles Skaggs & Jesse Jackson are joined by special guest companion Holly Mac as they discuss "Paradise Towers," the second serial from Doctor Who Season 24 in 1987, featuring Sylvester McCoy as the Seventh Doctor, Bonnie Langford as Melanie "Mel" Bush, and Richard Briers as the Chief Caretaker! Find us here:Twitter: @NextStopWho, @CharlesSkaggs, @JesseJacksonDFW @HollyMac_79 Instagram: @nextstopeverywherepodcast Facebook: Facebook.com/Nextstopeverywherepodcast Email: NextStopWho@gmail.com Listen and subscribe to us in Apple Podcasts and leave us a review!

The Doctor is fully himself again, and Mel wants to visit Paradise Towers. Surely that must be a lovely place? I mean there's Kangs, cannibalistic old ladies, rule-abiding caretakers and murderous cleaning machines. Sounds delightful!

This week, its cannibalistic grannies, tribalistic teens and a killer cleaning rota as the 7th Doctor takes the wheel with Season 24's Paradise Towers.

Why Buy A Condo At Larimar City? Prime Towers. Prices Going Up. Part 2. More details about downtown Larimar City Mall, Shopping, Restaurants & More.

Ben and Joe review one of Doctor Who's most underrated stories: Paradise Towers. In this episode, the guys discuss how this episode strikes the balance between disgustingly 80s and surprisingly forward thinking.

Doc and Mel B dodge senior citizen cannibals and team up with colour-coded girl gangs against the fascists standing in their way of a swimming pool

Doc and Mel B dodge senior citizen cannibals and team up with colour-coded girl gangs against the fascists standing in their way of a swimming pool

Matt and Billy discuss the recently teased Whoniverse and what it might mean. Plus they are joined by Jonathan to review Paradise Towers from Season 24 starring Sylvester McCoy! Music by Karl Casey @ White Bat Audio Follow The Review of Death on Twitter: https://twitter.com/ReviewofDeath Review of Death Patreon - https://www.patreon.com/thereviewofdeath?fbclid=IwAR3d1em61_nl0E10tkNbND5SCX2tpfLI0vYR7S6fuqe71QY_ayA2vSKWilY Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What started in the pandemic as a routine catch up because everyone was locked down under the same roof, is now a show! Our hosts have bared their hearts, spilled the beans and the tea, and been our friends, philosophers and guides. In this episode, they wrap up this season with some takeaways and memories. They may or may not be back but we hope the love and wisdom is shared and appreciated widely. Until next time! You can reach out to Navya on her Instagram @navyananda Find the show across Audio Platforms IVM Podcasts | Apple | Spotify | Google | JioSaavn | Gaana | Amazon Music Check out our YouTube Channel Show Merch is available at the IVM Merch Store This show is empowered by Bumble in India. App | Instagram Do follow IVM Podcasts on social media. We are @IVMPodcasts on Facebook, Twitter, & Instagram. You can listen to this show and other awesome shows on the new and improved IVM Podcasts App on Android or iOS. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Welcome to the Bachchan Family! We know them, follow them, respect them, and love them. In this episode, we meet the women of this iconic family - Navya, an entrepreneur, Shweta, a writer, and Jaya, an actor-politician. And guess what, they are a lot like us - a little quirky, a little perky, a bit sweet, and a lot savage. Listen to them tell us a bit about each other, and what we should look forward to on the show. Enjoy!You can reach out to Navya on her Instagram @navyanandaFind the show across Audio PlatformsIVM Podcasts | Apple | Spotify | Google | JioSaavn | Gaana | Amazon Music Check out our YouTube ChannelShow Merch is available at the IVM Merch StoreThis show is empowered by Bumble in India. App | InstagramDo follow IVM Podcasts on social media.We are @IVMPodcasts on Facebook, Twitter, & Instagram.You can listen to this show and other awesome shows on the new and improved IVM Podcasts App on Android or iOS. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What The Hell Navya is a feel-good show with 3 women from different generations and their thoughts. It brings together the phenomenal women of the Bachchan Family- Navya Naveli Nanda, Shweta Nanda, & Jaya Bachchan to discuss various important topics. The show aims to create a safe space for women across all age groups with hosts representing three generations and bringing in different perspectives. The hosts share their thoughts on financial independence, careers, love, parenting, friendship, and more! All episodes are a great mix of making a point, honesty, and fun. The podcast will begin streaming starting 24th September, every Saturday on all major audio streaming platforms.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Paradise Towers is a Doctor Who serial that I admire a lot, but doesn't quite execute very well. Yet, I find myself returning to it more frequently than some I like more (The McCoy era is a very easy rewatch). We go over this one in plenty of detail. Which Kang are you? Tony Schaab […]

This is Time Ram, the podcast that randomly mashes up different eras of Doctor Who, and welcome to our latest episode: Paradise Towers as you've never imagined it! Transposed to the 1970s and the Tom Baker era, this is Paradise Towers with grimy locations, paddling pools, sanitised BBC future punks and Suzie Quattro. What would the rezzies be like in the Golden Age of Old Ladies? Would the BBC really be able to secure the services of Carrie Fisher? How old is that Kang at the back? All this, and the fearsome Pex Brothers - coming soon, to a cineplex near you!

Luke & Chris discuss the highs and lows of Paradise Towers, and Chris reacts to the recent Chris Chibnall interview.

#PexLives! This week, WhoSoc joins the kangs and delves into the 80s chaos of Paradise Towers (1987), and follows the theme of the architect to Time Heist (2014) where we seek to answer the question, what would we really rob a bank for?

What are you recording? A "potcast"? What's a "potcast"? Is it about pots? What? I cannot- Can you please speak up? A doctor? What doctor? Who? Karen Gillan? Oh. I love her.

What are you recording? A "potcast"? What's a "potcast"? Is it about pots? What? I cannot- Can you please speak up? A doctor? What doctor? Who? Karen Gillan? Oh. I love her.

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

Have a listen to see if Ian and Eric agree with most, that Paradise Towers is one of the worst ever Who's.

Have a listen to see if Ian and Eric agree with most, that Paradise Towers is one of the worst ever Who's.

Joe & David; coming to terms with the

The Seventh Doctor and Mel discover that there are some deep dark waters in the Paradise Towers pool. Mike, Mike, Mary, Dr. Scott Vigiue, and Dave Chapman take the Fizzade taste test and determine if it really is ice hot. We want to hear from you! Please write to us at feedback@earthstationwho.com. Also, please subscribe and rate the show on iTunes, Stitcher Radio, Google Plus, or wherever fine podcasts are found. Feedback is always welcome and much appreciated. Links Listen to older episodes of the Earth Station Who Podcast ESW on iTunes ESW on Stitcher Earth Station Who on Spotify Make-A-Wish Foundation The ESO Network TeePublic Store The ESO Network Patreon The Legend of the Traveling TARDIS The Rat Hole Cutaway Comics PromotionPromos for Doctor Geek Covid-19 Promo & Watch-A-Thon of Rassalon at the end of the show this episode If you would like to leave feedback or comment feel free to email us at feedback@earthstationwho.com Special Guests: Dave Chapman and Scott Viguie.

This week, join Mo from France and Doctor L. as they take a look at Sylvester McCoy's 2nd story, Paradise Towers Contact us: Email: differentdocsos@gmail.com. Facebook: www.facebook.com/mo.moses.1048/ Twitter: @SosDifferent

Paul takes Tom and John by the hand, and runs them up his high rise. Our GDPR privacy policy was updated on August 8, 2022. Visit acast.com/privacy for more information.

In another bonus episode of Doctor Who: Too Hot For TV, Dylan talks to Gareth Kavanagh of Cutaway Comics. They discuss Gareths personal history with the show, Vworp Vworp Magazine, the brand new Lytton comic and some exciting forthcoming projects from Cutaway Comics.  

In Episode 10: Swimming Pools and Comedy Nazis, the boys are joined by Twin Cities theater artist and all around geek Ariel Leaf! Discussion topics include: Doctor Who tattoos and where to put them, the highs and lows of the Seventh Doctor story Paradise Towers, the fan poetry of Emily Dickinson as imagined by Ariel and […]

In this week’s podcast there is a slight change to what was scheduled. First, we do offer up our reviews on the Season 24 Seventh Doctor and Mel story, Paradise Towers. Also, as promised, we dig a little deeper into the background of the Quarks as presented in other media, particularly the TV Comics runs, for a mini Adversary Archive on the Quarks. However, due to some unforeseen circumstances, including but not limited to time...Read more The post Episode 204 – Two Tickets to Paradise appeared first on Traveling the Vortex.

REPRINTED FROM WIKIPEDIA WITH THANKS AND RESPECT Paradise Towers is a in the series , which was first broadcast in four weekly parts from October 5 to October 26, 1987. Contents [] [] Plot The Doctor and , looking for a swimming pool, land in Paradise Towers, a luxurious 22nd century high rise apartment building now fallen into disrepair and chaos. The building is divided between roaming gangs of young girls called Kangs, grouped in colour theme, and the Doctor and Mel encounter the Red Kangs. They have just discovered the death of the last Yellow Kang and are plotting how to attack the Blue Kangs. Elsewhere in the Towers, one of the Caretakers - who act as '' style policemen – is hunted down and killed by a robotic cleaner, which appeals to the sadistic when he overhears the death. The Chief sends a squad of Caretakers to arrest the Red Kangs and in the ensuing confusion the Doctor is split from Mel and captured by the Caretakers. Mel meanwhile heads off to one of the still occupied apartments in which two elderly ladies ('rezzies') live. Tilda and Tabby explain that all the able bodied men left the Towers to fight a war, leaving behind only the children and the elderly. The only other man still loose in the Towers is Pex, a would-be hero, who appoints himself Mel's guardian. At the Caretaker control centre, the Doctor meets the Chief Caretaker, who greets him as the Great Architect, designer of Paradise Towers, and then promptly calls for him to be killed. The Doctor cites an imaginary rule from the Caretakers manual, confusing them enough to make his escape. Mel and Pex meanwhile have headed to the top of the building, and are captured by a party of Blue Kangs. Before the pair are freed the Kangs reveal to Mel that Pex survived by fleeing from the war. The Doctor finds the Great Architect is named Kroagnon, and is reunited with the Red Kangs. They explain that Kangs and Caretakers have been disappearing in ever greater numbers. While the Doctor is being interrogated, the Caretakers track him down to the Red Kang headquarters and attempt to break down the door to their headquarters. Elsewhere Mel has visited Tilda and Tabby again and soon finds herself under threat when it emerges they are cannibals and plan to eat her. The Doctor succeeds in holding off the Caretakers long enough for the Kangs to flee. Meanwhile Tabby and Tilda are delayed in their eating of Mel when they are disturbed by a noise in the waste disposal. It turns out to be a metal claw, which first drags Tabby to her death in the disposal system, and then Tilda. Pex arrives and somehow succeeds in saving Mel. Mel and Pex find a map of the Towers and decide to venture to the roof, where the luxury swimming pool is located. The Doctor is taken to the Caretakers HQ again, where he realises that the Chief Caretaker has been allowing the Cleaners to kill people in the Towers, but that the killing has now got out of hand and the Chief Caretaker is no longer in control. The creature the Chief keeps in the basement is demanding more sustenance and making its own hunting arrangements. When the Chief heads off to investigate the deaths of Tabby and Tilda, the Red Kangs attack the HQ and rescue the Doctor. He returns with them to their base, taking with him the Illustrated Prospectus for the Tower, which they all watch. It reminds the Doctor that Kroagnon, the Great Architect of Paradise Towers, also designed Miracle City, a cutting edge development which killed its occupants. It seems Kroagnon had an aversion to people actually populating his buildings. The Blue Kangs arrive suddenly, overpowering the Red ones, but it soon becomes clear their game is over and they must now work together. Mel and Pex finally find the swimming pool. When Mel takes a dip in the pool, she is attacked by a robotic killer crab. The Red Kangs know of the monstrosity in the basement, and guess it must be linked to the terror in the Towers. The Doctor heads off to investigate and finds the Chief has been herded by the Cleaners toward the mysterious intelligence, which turns out to be Kroagnon himself. The Doctor is soon spotted by the Cleaners too, and the robots start to attack. The Kangs rescue the Doctor in the nick of time while on the roof Pex fails to rescue Mel, who has to destroy the crab herself. When the Doctor and the Kangs arrive, the latter taunt Pex for his cowardice. The Doctor explains that Kroagnon felt human beings would ruin his creation and so placed multiple deathtraps throughout the Towers before he was killed and trapped in the machine in the basement. The remaining rezzies, led by a woman named Maddy, join them all at the swimming pool and pledge to work together with the Kangs to defeat the menace in the building. Pex pledges to help too. The Deputy Chief Caretaker and the surviving Caretakers, who have become convinced of the peril in the basement, soon join them. The Chief Caretaker has now been killed and his corpse animated by the artificial intelligence of Kroagnon. He now intends to use the Cleaners to kill everyone in the Towers and repair the damage the “filthy human parasites” have caused. However, the combined human forces are now fighting back against the machines. The Doctor and Pex devise a ruse to lure the Chief into a booby trapped room and thereby destroy Kroagnon, but when the plan goes wrong Pex sacrifices himself to drag the Chief into the trap. They are both killed, but the terror is over. After a period of reflection and Pex's funeral, the Doctor and Mel leave Paradise Towers, trusting the remaining Kangs, Rezzies, and Caretakers to build a better society. As the TARDIS dematerialises, a new piece of Kang is revealed - "Pex Lives". [] Production Serial details by episode EpisodeBroadcast dateRun timeViewership (in millions) "Part One" 5 October 1987 24:33 4.5 "Part Two" 12 October 1987 24:39 5.2 "Part Three" 19 October 1987 24:30 5.0 "Part Four" 26 October 1987 24:21 5.0 Working titles for this story included The Paradise Tower. Author based his story in part on the novel , which depicts a luxury apartment building which descends into savagery. The music track was originally meant to be provided by a member of the , but producer John Nathan-Turner had decided that the incidental music no longer needed to be produced in-house. Instead, freelance composer was hired to provide the score, but Nathan-Turner terminated the commission late in production as he was unsatisfied with the way the score was turning out. provided the final score at short notice. [] Cast notes , an uncredited extra playing one of the Red Kangs, later appeared in a more substantial speaking part as the Female Programmer in the 2005 two-part story "" and "". This made her the second performer to appear in both the classic and new series of Doctor Who. Julie Brennon, who played Fire Escape, was married at the time to , who had been the 's companion . Features a guest appearance by as the Chief Caretaker who also later appears in the episode as Henry Parker. See also . previously played Jim Callum in . [] In print A novelisation of this serial, written by Wyatt, was published by in December 1988. It reveals that the Blue Kang Leader is named Drinking Fountain. book Paradise Towers Series Release number 134 Writer Publisher Cover artist ISBN Release date 1 December 1988 [] VHS and DVD releases This story was released on in October 1995. A DVD release of Paradise Towers is due in 2011 [] References From the series overview, in issue 407 (pp26-29). , which counts the four segments of as four separate stories and also counts the unbroadcast serial , lists this story as number 149. DVD follow The Discontinuity Guide numbering system. Shaun Lyon et al. (2007-03-31). . Outpost Gallifrey. Archived from on 2008-05-02. Retrieved 2008-08-30. . Doctor Who Reference Guide. Retrieved 2008-08-30. Sullivan, Shannon (2007-08-07). . A Brief History of Time Travel. Retrieved 2008-08-30. ^ at [] External links at at the [] Reviews reviews at reviews at [] Target novelisation