Doctor Who: The Metebelis 2

Ben and David continue their look at the Doctor Who monthly rankings by discussing the results of the 1980s Doctors, plus the Chris Eccleston stories. We theorize to why there is so little movement in the rankings over the years and lament the voting preferences of the DWM readership. The music for this episode is from The Mark of the Rani, composed by Jonathan Gibbs of the BBC Radiophonic Workshop. We recorded this episode on 2 July 2023.

The designers of 1960s Doctor Who contended with small budgets and even smaller studios to create the places and alien worlds that Doctor Who and his travelling companions visited. What are our top set designs of the b&w era? Why do we think they're great? And, who designed them? Opening music is "Dalek City Corridor" created by Brian Hodgson of the BBC Radiophonic Workshop and closing music is "Space Adventure, Part 2" composed by Martin Slavin. We recorded this episode on 25 June 2023.

In this podcast, Ben shares his experience in Bristol at the Lawless Comic Con from earlier in the month, and then answers David's question about what his idea would be for a new Doctor Who exhibition. Ben gives a brief summation of his Who exhibition experiences and pitches a Magical Who Story Tour from London, across the south England, to Cardiff visiting the filming locations of Doctor Who. The opening track is "Magical Mystery Tour" composed by Lennon and McCartney and performed by Ryohei Kanayama. The closing track is Dudley Simpson's Bessie traveling tune from "The Three Doctors" and "The Time Monster" with a dash of dialog from "The Dæmons" to knit the two together. We recorded this episode on 6 June 2023.

Ben and David continue their look at the Doctor Who Monthly readership rankings with a chat about where the Troughton, Pertwee, and Tom Baker stories stacked up. We share our theories, such as the Web Planet Effect, to why the stories ranked in the order that they did and discuss on which stories do we think are underrated, overrated, and correctly placed? We notice too that animations do not seem to make a difference with a missing story's popularity. The opening track is "Gentlemen, Good Luck" and closing track is "Mahogany", both from The Sun Maker soundtrack composed by Dudley Simpson. We recorded this episode on 22 May 2023.

RTD has revived the Doctor Who hype machine and Ben and David have been lapping it up. They enthuse over the many costume reveals for Ncuti Gatwa's Doctor and other members of the cast. Ben, who has been in England this past month, liked the Doctor Who trailer that dropped before EuroVision this year on BBC and is picking up a palpable buzz about the coming 60th anniversary series. Plus speculation if there will be a musical episode with Ncuti? Then, in the second part of the podcast, at about the 20:30 mark, we chat about the 2023 William Hartnell story rankings in Doctor Who Monthly. The intro and outro music is "Love Don't Roam" featuring Neil Hannon and composed by Murray Gold. We recorded this episode on 19 May 2023.

Ben presents to David a crash course in UK comics and all things related to The Star Beast, the 1980s comic serial that started Doctor Who Weekly #19, which was written by Pat Mills and John Wagner, and drawn by Dave Gibbons — all legends of UK comics. Toss in a dash of speculation of how RTD will bring Beep the Meep and the Wrarth Warriors to our television screens, and a sprinkling of speculation about other Marvel universe cross-overs with Doctor Who and there's your podcast! Opening music is "Cartoon Heroes", the 2000 (A.D.) song by Aqua and closing music is "That Beep", the 2008 song by Architecture in Helsinki. We recorded this episode on 16 April 2023.

Discussion of a possible UNIT spin off and then broaden our discussion to what can make a Doctor Who spin off successful and brainstorm spin-off ideas to pitch to RTD — from live action Paul McGann Doctor Who to steam punk Who to animated further adventures starring the Hartnell, Troughton, or Pertwee Doctors Who. What made the Sarah Jane Adventures successful and why was there a fourth series of Torchwood? We try to answer these questions and more in this episode. Opening music is "UNIT Rocks" composed by Murray Gold and closing music is "The UNIT Theme" composed by Dudley Simpson. We recorded this episode on 19 March 2023.

Ben is joined by writer Lena Barkin and pianist Jess Jurkovic to chat about their experiences at the 2023 Gallifrey One convention. Opening music is "Summons to Gallifrey" composed by Paddy Kingsland and closing music is "Jelly Babies" composed by Dudley Simpson. We recorded this episode on 27 February 2023.

A bonus episode! Ben's report from the first day of Gallifrey One 33 in Los Angeles and how impressive Tim Dane Reid's presentation of his behind-the-scenes account of portraying many of the monsters in Doctor Who. Opening music is from The Claws of Axos and closing music is from Fuldans by Fulkultur. We recorded this episode on 17 Feb 2023.

A double feature in this podcast. First up, Ben gives his report from the Worlds of Wonder Doctor Who exhibit currently running at the National Museum of Scotland in Edinburgh. Next David is joined by John (elvwood) and Peter (forpetessake), two quiz masters on the Games of Rassilon subforum on Gallifrey Base Doctor Who forum, where they discuss forum games and culture and the challenges and rewards of hosting forum games. Opening music is "The Axons Approach" by Brian Hodgson and closing music is "Scorched Earth" composed by Trevor Duncan and performed by the Group-Forty Orchestra. We recorded this episode on 28 January and 10 February 2023.

We are joined in this podcast by writer Lena Barkin and pianist Jess Jurkovic to chat about the upcoming Gallifrey One 33 convention to be held in February in Los Angeles. Ben, Lena, and Jess will all be panelists. Lena will present "Want You or Want to Be You: Companion Relationships in New and Classic Who" as part of the Tardis Talks Academic Symposium. She'll also be a panelist on "Coats of Many Colors", "Why Not a Singing Doctor?", and hosting the Blake's 7 Meet-up. Jess Jurkovic will be a panelist on "Sixty Years of Doctor Who Music" and giving a talk and performing "Dudley Simpson's Doctor Who Theme". Last, but not least, Ben is on two panels: "Stop Me Before I Collect Again" and "Bring the Cheese! Our Love Affair with Bad Movies". All-in-all, it sounds like a fun con! The music for this podcast is arrangements from Jess' Dudley Simpson IS Doctor Who project: opening music is "In An Atlantean Market" and closing music is "Liz's Tune". We recorded this episode on 21 January 2023.

The Abominable Snowmen Doctor Who animation is the centerpiece of this episode's discussion that ranges from the recent animation choices made by Gary Russell and Digitoonz to the original story by Mervyn Haisman and Henry Lincoln. Together they make a complex juxtaposition of early 2020s progressive sensibilities and late 1960s reactionism. What works and what, for lack of better words, is more Scooby-Doo than Doctor Who? The opening music is "Dakto Karpo" and closing music is "Rinchen Chabum" both from the 1975 recording Tibetan Folk Songs from Lhasa and Amdo. We recorded this episode on 8 January 2023.

We are trapped in a time loop in an "elf" storage in Manchester this podcast and are back on New Years Day 2022 to discuss the holiday special, Eve of the Daleks. David likes how Chris Chibnall writes his Dalek specials, but wonders why Nick was written to be so creepy. The name "Nick" certainly must have been a production team joke. Ben wonders what it is like to be killed by a Dalek, repeatedly. And we ask what about the mysterious Jeff? All-in-all, the two find this to be a quite serviceable hour of Doctor Who and wish more of this era could have been more like this. Opening and closing music by Segun Akinola from the Eve of the Daleks soundtrack. We recorded this episode on 7 December 2022.

'Tis the time of giving gifts and Sutekh Claus has a sleighful of presents for Doctor Who fans! Ben and David exchange twelve things they're thankful for in the world of Doctor Who and its fandom. Opening music is a mash-up of Bernard Archer's Marcus Scarman and Bing Crosby's White Christmas. Closing music is from Slade's "Merry Xmas Everybody". We recorded this episode on 27 November 2022.

Can the show Doctor Who work without Doctor Who? In this episode, David suggests that Doctor Who is not required and that the real only constant needed for the series is the TARDIS and a crew. Ben entertains this thesis and we discuss what such a show would be like and how it could work and its limitations. We ask if the show has evolved to such a place where the Doctor may be superflous… or maybe not. Opening music is "My Beautiful Ghost Monument", composed by Segun Akinola. Closing music is the intro theme to Blake's 7, composed by Dudley Simpson. We recorded this episode on 13 November 2022.

Jodie Whittaker's final episode tears the lid off the Doctor's companion's life after leaving the TARDIS. Ben and David discuss the former companions banding together to support one another and pitch ideas for an expanded Whoniverse series. We share our reactions to seeing former Doctors Who again and what we think of the return of David Tennant to the lead role. Opening music is the "The Thirteenth Doctor's Theme" composed by Segun Akinola. Closing music is "Rasputin" the 1978 Eurodisco hit by Boney M. We recorded this episode on 4 and 15 November 2022.

We talk about The Flux in one marathon podcast. What worked for us, what didn't capture our imagination, and what we would have done differently; including conversation about Sontarans, Weeping Angels, the teeth of Dan Lewis, understanding Scouse, Ben's dislike of dogs, Thasmin, and not letting Jo Martin have more screen time. Opening and closing music is from the soundtrack of Flux by Segun Akinola. We recorded this episode on 9 and 14 October 2022.

After a month's hiatus due to travels and Ben's bout with COVID, we're back talking about Jodie Whittaker headlining the GaliffreyOne convention next year and a look at her finale trailer. What are Tegan and Ace up to? Is the Master using his CTE on the Doctor's friends? Is that the UNIT logo or an upside down Death Star? Much speculation about what it all could mean and possibly even spoilers if we're right. (We're not… probably.) Opening and closing music is from the soundtrack of Flux by Segun Akinola. We recorded this episode on 9 and 14 October 2022.

In a wide-ranging discussion, Ben and David talk about the use of colo(u)r in Doctor Who and elsewhere in television and film. We also reflect on our own experiences watching black and white Doctor Who episodes on television and VHS. We also debate whether or not 1960s stories should be officially colourised. Opening music is "Technicolour Dreams" by Status Quo. Closing music is a song by Mihâly Vig, from Bela Tarr's film "A Torinoi Lo" (The Turin Horse). We recorded this episode on 21 August 2022.

To mark the sad passing of Bernard Cribbins, we journey back to 1966 to look at his first role associated with Doctor Who, which was PC Tom Campbell in Daleks' Invasion of Earth 2150 A.D. Ben reflects how Cribbins and Ray Brooks, who played David, were the voices of his childhood. Cribbins voiced all of the Wombles and Brooks narrated the Mr Benn animated shorts. When watching the movie as a child, Ben was annoyed by these crossover performances, but now he finds it quite cool. David, for his part, cannot remember when he first saw this movie and concludes this may be his first time viewing it all in one go. Opening music is the theme from Daleks' Invasion of Earth 2150 A.D. composed by Bill McGuffie. Closing music features Bernard Cribbins singing back in 1963, "The Bird on the Second Floor" with accompaniment directed by Johnnie Spence. We recorded this episode on 9 August 2022.