Doctor Who: The PodKast with a K

Welcome to the second part of an in-depth discussion in which Christian Cawley and James McLean explore the shifting landscape of media, television, streaming, and everything associated. Where is Doctor Who now, and where is it going?This podcast is part of a longer chat that our Patreon members have already enjoyed.We would love to know what you think about the points raised here -- your thoughts on this are pretty vital to a future discussion! Use the contact options below.Patreon benefits  While we're serializing it over the next few weeks for Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and all the other places, you can enjoy a classic deep-cut podcast in its entirety by joining our Patreon.Supporters of the podcast on Patreon also got this week’s show ad-free, and with a video version. Sign up to enjoy the same benefits. Get in touch  Subscribe to our podcast? Then head to Apple Podcasts to leave a rating and review. Any new reviews will be read out. Not on Apple Podcasts? Leave us a review somewhere else, send the link ove

We cover how ongoing drama series have changed in length and shape, and the demand of streaming services for libraries.And inevitably, during a time when Doctor Who could be put on hold for a while, we consider how the show might be rebooted... from scratch(?!).This podcast is part of a longer chat that our Patreon members have already enjoyed.We would love to know what you think about our conclusion -- your thoughts on this are pretty vital to a future discussion!Patreon benefits  While we're serializing it over the next few weeks for Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and all the other places, you can enjoy a classic deep-cut podcast in its entirety by joining our Patreon.Supporters of the podcast on Patreon also got this week’s show ad-free, and with a video version. Sign up to enjoy the same benefits. Get in touch  Subscribe to our podcast? Then head to Apple Podcasts to leave a rating and review. Any new reviews will be read out. Not on Apple Podcasts? Leave us a review somewhere else, send the link over on Twitte

This week's show is a news round up, looking at the key scifi/cult TV and movie stories of the past few weeks. Did you know the Twelfth Doctor had been recast by Big Finish? That there was a new Star Wars movie with Matt Smith? Or an upcoming Blu-ray release of the BBC's Chronicles of Narnia adaptation?If not, you'll learn about them here, along with news of Thunderbirds - FAB at 60, and Hammer's The Curse of Frankenstein getting a 4K remaster. Christian Cawley brings you five key stories, and when that's all done, Patreon members get an exclusive "after show" chat between Christian, James McLean, and Gareth Kavanagh, recorded in 2024.Shownotes Jon Culshaw is playing Twelfth Doctor for Big Finish New Star Wars movie, Star Wars: Starfighter BBC Chronicles of Narnia Blu-ray edition announced Chronicles of Narnia pre-order on Amazon Thunderbirds - FAB at 60 Thunderbirds 60th anniversary screening Hammer's The Curse of Frankenstein gets 4K remaster edition Frankenstein 4K on Amazon

This week, we examine Christopher H Bidmead's impact on Doctor Who, following the death of the former Doctor Who script editor in early August. His work as a computer journalist directly informed his contributions to the show, not just as its script editor but also writer of serials such as Logopolis and Castrovalva, and Frontios.This week, Christian Cawley and James McLean look back at Doctor Who's divisive Season 18. A new producer, an executive producer for the first time, a new script editor, and a lead actor on his way out of the door, it makes for interesting viewing, both as a show, and as a behind-the-scenes drama. But central to all of that was Bidmead's new approach to the show, one that stripped back "The Tom Baker Show" and moved the adventures back into the realms of discovery and education.

Once upon a time, everyone knew who Steve McQueen was. These days, it's difficult to find a current Hollywood star, or musician, or comedian, that everyone knows.In this week's podcast, Christian Cawley and James McLean go beyond Doctor Who to discuss personalities and media, and how household names and popular genres have all but vanished, their successors splintering into niches and sub-cultures.Meanwhile, the Patreon-only section explores the phenomenon of disappearing media formats and their return as premium items.Shownotes Blankety Blank playlist Blankety Blank spoof Taskmaster S3 E1 Ted Lasso trailer Project X (Amiga) Project X Light Years trailer ZX Spectrum trailer for Ulysses 31Christian's retro gaming site: www.gamingretro.co.uk Heil Honey I'm Home intro Fantastic Four (2025) trailer Patreon benefits  Supporters of the podcast on Patreon got this week’s show ad-free, early, and with around 20 minutes more talking. Sign up to enjoy the same benefits. Get in touch  Subscribe to our podcast? Th

This discussion looks at recent comments made at the Edinburgh Television Festival concerning the future of Doctor Who, with or without Disney+, and the streaming platform's changing output.Are cutbacks in drama affecting the BBC and Disney+ partnership concerning Doctor Who? Is this a major or minor bump in the road?And why has The War Between the Land and the Sea been put back until 2026? We look for some answers.For patrons, meanwhile, we have an exclusive chat about Sarah Jane Smith, following news of a new book dedicated to Lis Sladen's popular companion.Shownotes BBC states Doctor Who will return with or without Disney(Same link for The War Between the Land and the Sea) Just Sarah: More Than Fifty Years of a Doctor Who Companion Kasterborous Substack Get in touch  Enjoy the podcast? If you head to Apple Podcasts to leave a rating and review, it will help us build our audience there. Any new reviews will be read out -- let us know you've left one.Not on Apple Podcasts? Leave us a review somewhere else,

We're back with a new edition of Kasterborous, this time steering largely away from (or around) Doctor Who and looking more specifically at the use of time travel in television and popular Hollywood movies.So, Christian and James deliver you a video-exclusive, wide-ranging chat that takes in Doctor Who, Life on Mars, Back to the Future, Charmed, Once Upon a Time, Star Trek (and spinoffs), Ashes to Ashes, Primeval, Behold the Man, The Flash.... and The Fonz and the Happy Days Gang.This podcast went out first on Patreon, as a video, and longer, running to an additional 10 minutes. For full length and ad-free podcasts, we would love for you to join us on Patreon and support our weekly shows. We're already able to produce exclusive videos for Patreon, and plan to produce additional episodes!www.patreon.com/kasterborousShownotes Julian McMahon dies The Fonz and the Happy Days Gang (sorry) Deep Cover (Amazon Prime) Christian's retro gaming projects Patreon Kasterborous Substack Get in touch  Subscribe to our pod

There is a good chance that Doctor Who Series 15 will be remembered for many of the wrong reasons. But one great thing about it is that it gave us the chance to bring in a diverse collection of opinions and reactions.As you may have read, this week I am joined by: Philip Bates Gareth Kavanagh James Whittington Rick Lundeen ...and James McLean So, prepare for a tightly edited (!) collection of interactions between 6 people who weren't even on the same call, let alone in the same room. Strangely, I think it works.It's a bit shorter than usual, but I think it nicely wraps things up.Patreon benefits  Supporters of the podcast on Patreon got this week’s show ad-free and early. Sign up to enjoy the same benefits. From the next episode of Kasterborous, we'll be back to ad-free, early, and complete on Patreon, with the full episode for Patrons and a shorter version of the episode on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, etc. a few days later.Get in touch  Subscribe to our podcast? Then head to Apple Podcasts to leave a rating and

James and Christian have just recorded an ad hoc conversation about recent events concerning Doctor Who.Prepare for a video discussion which looks at J. Michael Straczynski's possible interest in Doctor Who, the current lack of scheduling for The War Between the Land and the Sea, obligatory AI talk, and a look at how much UK and US subscribers are paying for Netflix, Prime, Disney+, et al, compared with other countries.Shownotes Babylon 5’s J Michael Straczynski Says He’d “Love Nothing More” Than Writing Doctor Who  The War Between the Land and the Sea  Gorilla AI advert Patreon benefits  Supporters of the podcast on Patreon got this week’s show ad-free and early on Patreon — and with extra material. Get in touch  Subscribe to our podcast? Then head to Apple Podcasts to leave a rating and review. Any new reviews will be read out. Not on Apple Podcasts? Leave us a review somewhere else, send the link over on Twitter or Facebook or editor@kasterborous.co.uk, and you’ll get a mention.

During the run of Doctor Who Series 15, Christian Cawley and James McLean got together to discuss how the show was developing.This conversation took place against a backdrop of intense speculation about the future of the series, its star, and perhaps even its showrunner. Factor in the internal narrative -- dialogue from Mrs Flood -- and comments from Russell T Davies seeming to downplay the future of Doctor Who, and you have an interesting topic for discussion, namely:Were RTD, the BBC, and Disney+ engaged in one of the most audacious publicity campaigns for a TV show ever? Or was this a semi-conscious, modern day retread of the events surrounding Trial of a Time Lord in 1986?Find out what we think. Remember, this conversation went out in early May to our Patreon subscribers, so the voices on the end of your podcastmachine have no idea what happened in Episode 8...Patreon benefits  Supporters of the podcast on Patreon got this week’s show ad-free and early. Sign up to enjoy the same benefits. Get in touch  Su

We're delighted to welcome back Philip Bates for this week's podcast. Recorded a few weeks before Series 15, Philip and Christian Cawley discuss his work on Companions: More Than Sixty Years of Doctor Who Assistants.Originally published back in 2013 as 50 Years of Doctor Who Assistants by Andy Frankham-Allen, Philip has contributed a huge swathe of new material to this new edition.After all, he's the editor of The Doctor Who Companion, so who better to work on the revision?The book has been out for a few months, but now is hitting shelves in bookshops around the UK, although you can also buy it direct from publisher Candy Jar Books, or from Amazon.Shownotes Companions: More Than Sixty Years of Doctor Who Assistants by Philip Bates & Andy Frankham-Allen The Doctor Who Companion Meanwhile, we're working on a podcast looking back at Doctor Who Series 8, with many of the contributors who popped up on a weekly basis with James. You'll get that first on Patreon!Patreon benefits  Supporters of the podcast on P

The Reality War is over, and Doctor Who Series 15 has come to a close; we don't know what is going to happen next.But before we spend time ruminating over the mind-bending regeneration, James and Magnus are here to discuss The Reality War.ShownotesDoctor Who: The Reality War on BBC iPlayer and Disney+.Patreon benefits Supporters of the podcast on Patreon got this week’s show ad-free and early. Sign up to enjoy the same benefits.Get in touch  Subscribe to our podcast? Then head to Apple Podcasts to leave a rating and review. Any new reviews will be read out. Not on Apple Podcasts? Leave us a review somewhere else, send the link over on Twitter or Facebook or editor@kasterborous.co.uk, and you’ll get a mention.

This week's podcast welcomes John Kenneth Muir, a guest who has also joined us previously on the John and Jim's Excellent Adventure podcasts. Naturally, he's here to discuss Wish World with James, the penultimate episode of Doctor Who Series 15/2/41, however you prefer to count it. Expect some interesting insights into both the episode and the potential survival of the series.As one listener on Patreon described it: "Such an intelligent discussion, avoiding the histrionics you might find elsewhere!"Shownotes Doctor Who: Wish World on BBC iPlayer and Disney+ John & Jim's Excellent Journey Patreon benefits Supporters of the podcast on Patreon got this week’s show ad-free and early on Patreon — and with extra material. This week, there's a video of the chat, exclusively available on Patreon. This audio version is a truncated edit of that conversation, but we’ll be bringing the cut portions to you in future. Get in touch Subscribe to our podcast? Then head to Apple Podcasts to leave a rating and review. Any

This week, it's James McLean and the enigmatic Magnus chewing the Time Lord fat (eww). They get deep into The Interstellar Song Contest, with James as a long-term viewer of Doctor Who and Magnus as a more recent arrival.Shownotes Doctor Who: The Interstellar Song Contest on BBC iPlayer and Disney+ Patreon benefits  Supporters of the podcast on Patreon got this week’s show ad-free and early on Patreon — and with extra material. Get in touch  Subscribe to our podcast? Then head to Apple Podcasts to leave a rating and review. Any new reviews will be read out. Not on Apple Podcasts? Leave us a review somewhere else, send the link over on Twitter or Facebook or editor@kasterborous.co.uk, and you’ll get a mention.

Vworp Vworp and Cutaway Comics' Gareth Kavanagh joins James McLean in this week's Doctor Who podcast.They cover the latest episode of Doctor Who (The Story and The Engine), with some interesting insights...Shownotes Doctor Who: The Story and The Engine on BBC iPlayer and Disney Plus Cutaway Comics Patreon benefitsSupporters of the podcast on Patreon got this week’s show ad-free and early on Patreon — and with extra material. We also released this exclusively on Patreon as a video podcast.This audio version is a truncated edit of that conversation, but we'll be bringing the cut portions to you in future.Get in touchSubscribe to our podcast? Then head to Apple Podcasts to leave a rating and review. Any new reviews will be read out.Not on Apple Podcasts? Leave us a review somewhere else, send the link over on Twitter or Facebook or editor@kasterborous.co.uk, and you’ll get a mention.

This week, James McLean is joined by Doctor Who Companion editor Philip Bates to discuss the latest episode, Lucky Day. They cover everything from twists and turns to the now-perennial question: will Doctor Who continue beyond this series?Patreon subscribers, will also be able to see this conversation, if preferred, in video format.Shownotes Doctor Who: Lucky Day on BBC iPlayer and Disney+ The Doctor Who Companion Get in touch Subscribe to our podcast? Then head to Apple Podcasts to leave a rating and review. Any new reviews will be read out.Not on Apple Podcasts? Leave us a review somewhere else, send the link over on Twitter or Facebook or editor@kasterborous.co.uk, and you’ll get a mention.

Episode 3 of Doctor Who Series 15, The Well, has aired in the UK and worldwide on the Disney+ service, and is ripe for discussion. What impact has this episode has, and can James McLean discern it?This week, James is joined by James Whittington, a writer who worked with us back in the days of our old website. He also writes for the Legend TV channel, among other things, and has plenty of thoughts about Doctor Who...Shownotes Doctor Who: The Well on BBC iPlayer (UK) and Disney+ (Worldwide) Legend TV James Whittington on X: @jamesywhitt Patreon benefits Supporters of the podcast on Patreon got this week's show ad-free and early on Patreon -- and with extra material. We also released this exclusively on Patreon as a video podcast.Get in touch Subscribe to our podcast? Then head to Apple Podcasts to leave a rating and review. Any new reviews will be read out.Not on Apple Podcasts? Leave us a review somewhere else, send the link over on Twitter or Facebook or editor@kasterborous.co.uk, and you’ll get a mention.

Doctor Who Series 15's second episode, Lux, is the subject of discussion this week. James McLean welcomes this week's guest, Rick Lundeen, for quite a deep and wide-ranging chat about the episode and Doctor Who's current status.Rick is a writer and artist with quite a considerable body of work behind him. Among those include work with Christian Cawley on the Time Leech comic strip way back in 2009, and his incredible adaptation of The Daleks' Master Plan. Rick also writes regularly for The Doctor Who Companion, where he has contributed over 100 articles.He also has some interesting thoughts on Doctor Who!Shownotes Doctor Who: Lux - BBC iPlayer, Disney+ Rick Lundeen art The Swede You can also watch the video version of this review of Lux, exclusive to our Patreon, which is free to join and affords access to our podcast early, ad-free, and with extra content each week.Get in touchSubscribe to our podcast? Then head to Apple Podcasts to leave a rating and review. Any new reviews will be read out.Not on Apple P

James and Magnus discuss the first episode of Doctor Who S15, Robot Revolution, which introduces a new companion, Belinda Chandra, and ends with quite the cliffhanger.This is an in-depth discussion of the episode, covering everything from the visual style to the themes of coercive control and loss. Members of our free Patreon heard this episode first. Sign up at patreon.com/kasterborous for early episodes, ad-free, and often with extra material.ShownotesDoctor Who Robot Revolution on BBC iPlayer Get in touch Subscribe to our podcast? Then head to Apple Podcasts to leave a rating and review. Any new reviews will be read out.Not on Apple Podcasts? Leave us a review somewhere else, send the link over on Twitter or Facebook or editor@kasterborous.co.uk, and you’ll get a mention.

This week's podcast was supposed to be Christian chatting with the Doctor Who Companion's Philip Bates about Doctor Who Series 15... and then Newsround published a brief chat with Russell T Davies.Suddenly, we had to talk about the possibility that Doctor Who Series 15 might be the last, certainly as far as the current production setup is concerned, and maybe longer term, too.So, the episode kicks off with Christian and James (which you may have already seen in the video chat earlier), then moves onto a previously recorded chat with the DWC editor. Shownotes Russell T Davies chats to NewsroundLast week's episode: Is Doctor Who's time running out? Doctor Who modern episodes ranked Doctor Who Companion turns 9 Get in touch Subscribe to our podcast? Then head to Apple Podcasts to leave a rating and review. Any new reviews will be read out.Not on Apple Podcasts? Leave us a review somewhere else, send the link over on Twitter or Facebook or editor@kasterborous.co.uk, and you’ll get a mention.