Doctor Who: Gallifrey Public Radio

This week, we look at the contributions of a series of beloved Doctor Who writers, classic and new, veteran and freshman. We discuss the nature of their individual craft, what impact their stories had upon the DWU both within their respective seasons and beyond, and what adept skills many of them demonstrate when penning a script for the Doctor. From the prolific Robert Holmes, to the acclaimed Paul Cornell, to brilliant newcomer Sarah Dollard, the pen so often proves mightier than the sonic screwdriver.

This week, GPR East and West (Keir and Haley) enjoy the four surviving episodes and two animated recreations of 'The Ice Warriors', and discuss the thematic statements about nuclear winter, modern dependence upon technology, and what hundreds or thousands of years trapped in a glacier apparently does to one's vocal chords. (Hint: Varga won't be touring with an a capella group any time soon.)

If you were to take on a writing prompt asking you to compose a five-line scene where two well-known literary characters address a mundane event like a car that won’t start, and then asked another writer to do the same, the odds are extremely high that very little of those brief compositions would bear any resemblance other than the components that adhered to the original guideline. Even within such a microcosmic scope, the number of variables that define a fictional story is so large, […]

Actors playing dual roles in a single production is nothing new to film or television, but sometimes there are performances that are so exemplary, we almost forget that the two identities stem from a single actor. This week, Jay and Haley ponder why Keir’s doppelgänger would kidnap him to Vermont, leaving them to witness Patrick Troughton pulling double duty in the recently rediscovered “Enemy of the World”. We talk about Troughton’s portrayal of Ramon Salamander and the incredibly convoluted story that brings us betrayal, double […]

The Doctor has the means and the desire to see the countless wonders of the Universe, from the epicenter of the Big Bang, to the outermost edges. With virtually infinite possible destinations, he certainly spends a lot of time on Earth, doesn’t he? Perhaps that’s just because we’re only privy to those adventures that brush upon our short, planetary-bound lives. Focus the lens a little further, and many of those Terran travels are right within the United Kingdom — again, […]

Closing the Hartnell chapter on our classic Doctor Who rewatch, we end on "The Tenth Planet", the Cyberman origin story, and a wholly entertaining story from the legendary Kit Pedler.

This week, we take a listener request to review the first series of The Tenth Doctor Adventures from Big Finish. From hyperintelligent alien adversaries, to the weaponization of time, to the living embodiment of death, Tennant and Tate are so adept at their craft that we might never have seen them leave the BBC Wales set. The Doctor and Donna crash headlong into these stories with every ounce of energy we could wish for, and it's all we can do to hang on for the ride. We discuss the strength of their symbiotic relationship, the writers' skills at capturing their dynamic as well as pitting them against foes that bring out the best in both, and in the end, our overwhelming desire -- nay, need -- to continue these stories for many seasons to come.

This week, our GPR team foolishly boots up WOTAN to rewatch the Hartnell serial, "The War Machines". With last moments spent with a brainwashed Dodo, and incoming (unexpected) companions Polly and Ben, there's literally terror on the streets of London, as the metal fist-wielding, death-steam belching war machines play havoc with the British populace, at least until an electromagnetic wrestling ring can be constructed around one. Our esteemed First Doctor feels right at home as an impromptu field general, and shows sides of his complex persona we may not witness again until his Third visage is put in play. Seem a little unusual? It certainly is, and we're right in the thick of it to enjoy the highs and the lows of this rather unorthodox classic story.

This week, using only the aspects of Gallifrey that were either shown or mentioned in the Doctor Who televised series (classic and new), we try to form a fuller understanding of the Doctor's home planet, and the people that occupy its cities and outlands. Knowing where we've left off at the conclusion of Series 9 and "Hell Bent", odds are good that we're not done learning more about Gallifreyan society, government, and populace. We also discuss the ramifications of learning those new things, and when the sum total may be too much to reveal.

This week, we shake the dust from our boots and saddle up to "The Gunfighters", that fateful moment where Doctor Who took on the Tombstone story. Complete with quick draws, jail breaks, and possibly the worst earworm of a theme song ever composed, we spend a little time panning the mud, and find comedy gold.

Staying just safely within the bounds of professionalism and good taste, we spend a few minutes chatting and laughing with Noel Clarke, our beloved Mickey Smith, recorded live from the festivities at the third annual Long Island Doctor Who convention.

This week, we dematerialize in time to enjoy the WIlliam Hartnell-era Doctor Who story, "The Ark." With (Spaceman) Steven Taylor and new companion Dodo along, they certainly get the attention of the Earth vessel's crew when Dodo's cold becomes an epidemic. But after all, there's certainly not anything to worry about with the Monoids, right? "Uhhh...no?"

There are a litany of reasons why Doctor Who script editor and producer Derrick Sherwin was greeted at the Long Island Doctor Who convention last November as the event’s Guest of Honor. He was responsible for the addition of U.N.I.T. to the program during the Patrick Troughton era, as well as the introduction of the sonic screwdriver. He was pivotal in the selection of Troughton’s successor, the action-ready and audience-charming Jon Pertwee. And he was adept at balancing the need […]

When you have a program that has spanned the decades as few like Doctor Who have done, and have at times both intentionally and unintentionally replaced actors within the principal cast, you have a rather large set of characters to draw upon for any sort of trivia game you might devise. Take three so-called “fans” of the program, and pit them against each other in attempts to identify which character delivered a single line from a single episode across that […]

Recorded live from the third Long Island Doctor Who (or L.I. Who 3) convention in November of 2015, we sit down once again with the Eighth Doctor himself, Paul McGann, and discuss the convention circuit, his latest projects with Big Finish, and celebrating his birthday with fans in New York. (Also in this supplemental cast: our reaction to the announcement of the newest Doctor Who companion, Pearl "Bill" Mackie!)