The Doctor Who Podcast

A new year dawns (Happy New Year to all our listeners!), so it must be time for the DWP to dust off their crystal balls again and make some grandiose and probably totally incorrect predictions for what will be happening in the world of Doctor Who in 2012. We also rather foolishly review the predictions we made in Episode #59 about what was going to happen in 2011.  Hear where we went dramatically wrong!

The DWP Team review the Doctor Who special for Christmas 2011 – The Doctor, The Widow and the Wardrobe.

As the first part of the world enters Xmas 2011 (that would be Kiritimati, fact fans), the DWP releases its Christmas episode for 2011. So many people to thank for their contributions to this years Christmas celebration. Leeson and Harry from the Radio Rassilon podcast for their song and contribution to the skit. Comedian and downright musical genius Ashley Frieze for his downright genius musical interlude. And of course Ian, Michelle, Harry, Steven, John, Tin Dog and Leeson for their Christmas wishes. Enjoy this little slice of Christmas, DWP-style as you tuck into your turkey or pull your cracker. Merry Christmas from the extended DWP family.

With the season of gift giving upon us, the DWP Campervan turns its thoughts towards Christmas, and how Doctor Who has celebrated the season across its entire run. The DWP Team of Trevor, James and Tom welcome special guest Leeson from the Radio Rassilon podcast in discussing Doctor Who and its references to Christmas. From breaking the fourth wall in the Hartnell era to flying sharks in the Matt Smith era, its all there. Ian and Michelle also drop by with reviews on the Big Finish entries into the yuletide spirit.

This week on the podcast we review two of the lost Sylvester McCoy stories released from Big Finish – Animal and Earth Aid. We also have an interview with one of the stars from Earth Aid – Paterson Joseph – the Doctor who almost was.

A special episode from the Doctor Who Podcast this week to share the fantastic news that has just broken. Two episodes from classic Doctor Who have been discovered and returned by the BBC Archives. Galaxy Four, episode 3, part of William Hartnell’s third season, has been returned along with the second episode of a Patrick Troughton story, The Underwater Menace. Trevor and James talk about these discoveries and the background to how they were returned.

The Cybermen, classic monsters who terrorised the Doctor during the run of the original series, returned for the new series rejuvenated, revitalised and reinvented for a modern audience. The DWP Campervan plays host to the metal meanies this episode with Trevor, Tom and James discussing the rebirth of the Cybermen in the new series of Doctor Who. Ian and Michelle also review a Cybermen story from the Big Finish range.

In April this year a great loss occurred in the Doctor Who community with the death of Elisabeth Sladen, perhaps better known as Sarah Jane Smith, companion to the Third and Fourth Doctors. It was a loss so sudden, so unexpected, and revealed what a private person Elisabeth was. It is only now courtesy of her autobiography we are finding out more about this extraordinary woman. The DWP Team pay tribute to Lis by talking about her time on Doctor Who, her work in the Sarah Jane Adventures, her foray into the world of Big Finish and other spin off media. Spend some time with Sarah Jane this week.

What self respecting podcast doesn’t release an episode on November 23rd? Certainly not The Doctor Who Podcast! In this episode we have a chat about the rumours surrounding the Doctor Who movie. The Doctor Who convention in March 2012 comes under our piercing DWP gaze. We draw the Simon Guerrier competition which we started in episode #108. The Ark has recently been released on DVD, and Trevor and James take a look at what it has to offer.

This week was to have been our episode on the delightful Elisabeth Sladen, but unfortunately real life got in the way and James could not join us. We really wanted to do Lis justice and have all three of us in the campervan so we will postpone that episode for a very short while. So, in the meantime, with a lack of anything to say about one of Doctor Who’s favourite companions, Trev and Tom settle back and have a geek out. A what a wide ranging discussion it is – Voyage of the Damned, stunt casting, numeracy, Australian accents, accountancy and a whole lot of laughter. Also the announcement of our competition just in time for Christmas.

During the London Riots earlier in the year, our very own James tried to find a quiet table and sit down with Simon Guerrier, a name that you might not all be familiar with but one that has been cropping up in the world of Doctor Who for many years now. Simon has written for Big Finish for the Fifth and Seventh Doctors. Contributed stories to the Short Trips range. He has written original novels for the First and Tenth Doctors. Written comic strips. Made Bernice Summerfield come to life in the printed word. And produced some of the most fondly remembered documentaries which have featured on the 2Entertain range of classic series DVD releases. In fact pretty much the only thing he HASN’T done is written for the new series. Though that can’t be far away. James had a fascinating chat with Simon, a man who has had such a submliminal effect on our enjoyment of Doctor Who. You might not know who he is, but after this interview, you will.

Time to delve into the wonderful universe of Big Finish at the Doctor Who Podcast. The latest fifth Doctor trilogy of Heroes of Sontar, Kiss of Death and Rat Trap make their way across the DWP Campervan kitchen bench for us to slice, dice and boil down to its constituent parts. We also announce another competition in which you can win some major prizes. We meant to announce this competition last week, but um, forgot. Sorry about that.

This episode is all about the reviews, as the DWP Campervan rips off the shrinkwrap from a couple of Doctor Who DVDs and Big Finish audios. On the DVD front, Day of the Daleks and Paradise Towers are reviewed by Trevor, Tom and James. And making their first appearance inside the DWP Campervan, DWP forum moderators Ian and Michelle review the Big Finish audio Find and Replace.

It has been a while since we have done one of these things, but The Doctor Who Podcast quiz is back! Tom is quizmaster to a nervous Trevor and James, who are being assaulted under the barrage of ten exquisitely chosen questions courtesy, in part, from our wonderful listeners.

The DWP like nothing better than a good ‘ole geek out – a chance to let our hair down, sit back with a warm, or indeed cold beverage, and talk about whatever pops into our heads. And that is exactly what we do in this episode. Unburdened by the shackles of BBC programming, Trevor and Tom geek out about a whole manner of things, far too lengthy to list here. We also play an interview that our James had with writer Tom McRae, writer of the two part Cybermen story Rise of the Cybermen and Age of Steel. He also wrote The Girl Who Waited from this current season. A truly bursting at the seams episode for your enjoyment!