Doctor Who: The Metebelis 2

The Robots of Death had been the greatest Doctor Who story ever. However, young Ben, age 11, was deeply suspicious about the educative appearance of Doctor Who set in Victorian times. Was this going to be Doctor Who goes "The Classic Serial"? If so, where would the monsters be? The best bit in Doctor Who. This is a flashback Metebelis 2 podcast on The Talons of Weng-Chiang. Opening music is Julie Covington's 1976 concept album, Evita. Closing music is taken from the Talons soundtrack composed by Dudley Simpson.

It's Wednesday, March 24th, 1982 and 12-year-old David has just tried to explain to his skeptical mother, who the scantily clad "savage" was on his favorite after school tv show. This is a flashback Metebelis 2 podcast on The Robots of Death. Intro music is from the J. Giels Band's 1982 number 1 single on the US charts, "Centerfold". Closing music is a brief except from Dudley Simpson's score from The Robots of Death.

It's New Year's Day 1977 and 11-year-old Ben is still missing Sarah Jane Smith. The Deadly Assassin disappointed by bringing back an unrecognizable Master. Perhaps Sarah would return in this new story. This is a flashback Metebelis 2 Podcast on "The Face of Evil!" Intro music is from David Soul's 1977 number 1 single on the UK charts, "Don't Give Up on Us". Closing music is "The Interior of Xoanon" by Dick Mills of the BBC Radiophonic Workshop.

This week, Ben gives the lowdown on three San Diego ComicCon BritBox, Titan, and BBC Doctor Who panels. Plus other discussion of recent news in the Whoniverse including the recent death of Deborah Watling, who played Victoria, Peter Capaldi's salary, and a message on behalf of the BBC complaints department. Plus we may have speculated on the casting of the next James Bond. Opening music is from "Space Time Music" part 1, composed by Wilfred Josephs and used in The Tomb of the Cybermen when Victoria and the Doctor discuss remembering family. The closing music is "Victoria" by the Kinks from the 1969 album, "Arthur".

Surprise! Jodie Whittaker is the next Doctor! Ben and David chat about the casting of the first woman to play our hero and speculate on what it will bring in Series 11 next year. Spoiler alert: the Metebelis 2 is quite pleased with the casting. Opening music is a mash up of all the actors who have played Doctor Who on television and the 1970s series opening theme. Closing music is taken from the BBC trailer teaser the announcement from earlier this week.

This week is the wrap-up for Series 10. Did the Doctor, Bill, Nardole, and Missy's character arcs for the season resolve live up to their promise? What were the strengths and weakness of our favourite series starring Peter Capaldi? Plus the Metebelis 2 rate all of the stories. Listen to find out which ones they liked the best. Opening is "Bill's Theme" by Murray Gold and closing music is from the Series 10 trailer released by the BBC.

With Series 10 coming to a conclusion, Ben and David discuss the finale and the fate of Cyber-Bill, Nardole, and the two Masters. What is going on in that final scene with the Doctor on Antarctica? Did Moffat's penultimate script as show runner press the right buttons for the Metebelis Two? Listen to find out! Opening is the Cloister Bell created by Dick Mills and closing music is from the soundtrack of "The Doctor Falls" by Murray Gold.

In this week's episode Ben and David react to the revelations in emotionally impacting "The World and Time" and then speculate on how Steven Moffat is going to get Dr. Who out of the predicament posed by the penultimate episode of Series 10. Opening music was composed by Murray Gold and taken from this week's episode. The closing music is some classic incidental music very much associated with the Cybermen: "Space Adventure, Part 2" compose by Martin Slavin.

A week late, but hopefully still not short of laughs. Ben and David discuss episode 10 from Series 10 of Doctor Who. Ben found "The Eaters of Light" a bit damp on first watch and talks about the Welsh landscape standing in for Scotland. While David appreciates Nardole's traveling with popcorn to TARDIS life and chuckles about Bill's deep cut to "The Goon Show". Opening music is excerpted from "Scotus" by Corvus Corax from their 2006 album "Venus Vina Musica". Closing music is an excerpt from "The Terror of the Zygons" soundtrack composed by Geoffrey Burgon.

Doctor Who may have reached "peak Gatiss" with the continuity-laden "Empress of Mars". Ben and David sift through the story to find the callbacks to older stories and wonder how this episode fits within the larger context of Series 10 of Doctor Who. Ben especially delights in the return of a certain hermaphrodite hexapod from the Pertwee era. Opening music is the theme to the 1958 movie, "The Vikings" composed by Mario Nascimbene as described by Bill in story "as amazing". Closing music is an excerpt from "Skaldak" by Murray Gold composed for Mark Gatiss' earlier Ice Warrior story, "Cold War".

Join Ben and David this week as they discuss "The Lie of the Land", the conclusion of the mid-Series 10 Monk Trilogy. What worked for the duo and what led to Monday morning script editor second guesses? Intro music is from Murray Gold's score for the story with Pearl Mackie's "counter-programming" voice-over. Closing Music look forwards to next week's episode with the opening theme composed by Dudley Simpson from the 1967 Troughton story, "The Ice Warriors".

In this week's episode, Ben and David discuss the middle story in Series 10's Monk Trilogy, "The Pyramid at the End of the World." Sifting through the heavy-handed plot to find the diamonds hidden in the rough. Is this biotech worst lab in Britain or a sign of things to come post-Brexit? Intro music is from Murray Gold's series 8 composition, "Hello, Hello", a variation of which was the intro for last week. The closing song is "I Can See Clearly Now" from 1972 written and sung by Johnny Nash.

In this episode, David explains why he thinks the monks are actually undead Exxilons out for revenge. Ben notes the similarities between the complexity of the Monk's plans and the Kraals and the Cybermen. The conversation continues on to discuss the nature of Missy and the Doctor’s relationship. And then the two delve into the nature of reality. Finally, in a postscript after the closing music, David asks is suicide an appropriate topic for family teatime telly. Intro Music is from Murray Gold's soundtrack for "Extremis". Closing music is from Dudley Simpson's score for "The Android Invasion".

Ben and David heap praise upon the fifth episode of Series 10, "Oxygen" by Jamie Mathieson. A classic base-under-siege story with an anti-capitalist message at its core. Intro Music is a montage of "Where No Man Has Gone Before", also know as the them from Star Trek: the Original Series, composed by Alexander Courage and Murray Gold's opening incidental music for "Oxygen" combined with Peter Capaldi's reading of Mathieson's script. Closing Music is an excerpt from "Breathe" from Pink Floyd's 1973 album, "The Dark Side of the Moon".

"Knock, Knock"? Who's there? It's the Metebelis 2 with our conversation about the fourth story in Series 10 of Doctor Who, David Suchet guest appearance, and the relationship between space wood lice and Krynoids. Is there a connection between Bill and the Doctor's granddaughter, Susan? Who is playing Beethoven on the other side of the vault door? Intro music from "Summer in the City" from Quincy Jones' 1973 album "You've Got It Bad Girl". Closing music: Adagio from J.S. Bach's Sonata No. 1 in G minor performed by Itzhak Perlman.

The TARDIS lands back in 1814 for the final Frost Fair on the frozen Thames. Join Ben and David as they chat about "Thin Ice", Sarah Dollard's second script for Doctor Who, as they discuss mile-long fish, street urchins, and fish poo. Intro and outro music by Murray Gold from the "Thin Ice" soundtrack.

Bill and the Doctor head off in the TARDIS to Wheat World... er Valencia, Spain... er Gliese 581D and meet up with homocidal smiling emoji robot interfaces, while Nardole stays behind on Earth to put the tea kettle on and keep an eye on the mysterious vault. From "Billie's Choice" to post structuralist philopshers to rushed endings, Ben and David chat about what all "Smile" means. Intro music from "Smile" by Murray Gold. Closing music from "Ashes to Ashes" by David Bowie.

Yay! Series 10 has arrived and Ben and David chat about their first impressions of "The Pilot" and the debut of Bill as the Doctor's newest assistant. Did she pass the test? Did Nardole live up to expectations? What's behind the basement vault doors? Is Heather too powerful? Just like Bill, the Metebelis 2 have many questions. Opening and closing music by Murray Gold from "The Pilot".

With only one week away from the start of Doctor Who Series 10, Ben and David dissect the four Series 10 trailers and speculate what they all could mean. To limit the risk of spoilers, the conversation is limited to the four trailers, announced episode titles, and Pearl Mackie's introduction to Bill. Opening music is "A Good Man, An Incredible Liar" from "Death in Heaven" and closing music is signature theme from "The Caretaker". Both pieces are by Murray Gold and are from Doctor Who, Series 8.

Our copies of Vworp Vworp #3 arrived! So this week on M2P we "unbox" the fanzine. Then after a week of reading through the issue cover-to-cover, we give our reactions and talk about the differences in how Doctor Who was experienced in the UK and the US. Ben concludes the episode with a tribute to Who fandom. Opening music is "Wall of Flame" by Tristram Cary from "The Daleks' Master Plan", interlude music is an excerpt from "Day Tripper" by The Beatles, and we close with "Dalek Spaceship Takes Off" by Brian Hodgson of the BBC Radiophonic Workshop.