Doctor Who: The Metebelis 2

In a twisted mash-up of Osirian gift giving and the twelve days of Christmas, the Metebelis Two bring you Sutekh's twelve gifts of Christmas to all Whomanity. Yes kiddos, Sutekh Claus is coming to town. What gifts is he going to bestow? Opening and closing music are also a bit of a mash-up of the Pyramids of Mars and Christmas music from first Elvis and then Jimmy McGriff. Ho Ho Ho.

The Brigadier reunites with the Doctor in this week's journey into Big Finish's back catalogue with The Spectre of Lanyon Moor. This is a story mines a rich vein of classic 1970s Who to tell a new, but familiar story perfect for tea time. Does this story hold the secret to the sixth Doctor's character's rehabilitation? Are round-trip holidays to Athens that short? And, why is British electricity better? Answers to these questions in more in this weeks' podcast. Music this episode is from Alistair Lock's score from The Spectre of Lanyon Moor.

The series 12 trailer dropped this past weekend, so what better time for the Metebelis Two to give their quick take on what they thought. Maddeningly though, no broadcast date was given so we speculate about possible rumoured air dates; which, in turn, leads to discussing some of the other trolling rumours swirling around series 12, and ultimately, the fate and future of Doctor Who at the BBC. Opening music is from Segun Akinola's series 11 soundtrack. Closing music is from Alistair Lock's score from the Spectre of Lanyon Moor.

This week we chat about the magical meeting that took place during this year's Children in Need special, when Anastasia, a young Who fan, met her amazing Doctor, Jodie Whittaker. Then we discuss the announcement of series 12 writers and directors and speculate on what Chibnall has planned for our favourite show in 2020? Opening and closing music is from Segun Akinola's series 11 soundtrack; including excerpts from "Sonic Screwdriver" and "Me and My Mates".

We review Invaders from Mars, the Big Finish Main Line release from 2002 featuring Paul McGann as Doctor Who. Ben and David laugh along with this fun story written and directed by Mark Gatiss and set at Halloween 1938. Gatiss creates a joyful pastiche from 1930s radio drama, gangster films, and a hearty dose of 1950s popular sci-fi done with the sketch-comedy stylings of The League of Gentlemen. Ben enjoyed listening to this with fresh ears nearly 18 years after its release and David wondered if the time fallout from Charley would have confused listeners as much as it did for him. Opening and closing music is by Alistair Lock's sound design for the story.

The Metebelis Two talk briefly about the two "missing" Troughton stories that will be released as animations next year. David wonders if Deborah Watling's likeness be successfully realized? Was that Emil Keller or Rev. Magister in the Faceless teaser trailer? Then in our main feature, Ben serves as our guide to 13 spooky and horrible Doctor Who stories to watch. What does Ben choose and what did he pass over? Discussion about when is the proper time to watch spooky stories? Halloween like in the America or Christmas like in Britain? And is the encroachment of Halloween in the UK lessening Guy Fawkes night? This episodes music is from Carey Blyton's score for "Death to the Daleks".

We continue on with our discussion of spooky Doctor Who and try to answer whether horror truly works in the confines of the show. Does more realistic effects detract or enhance the storytelling of spooky stories? Is Ben a horror snob and what makes David a fan of theatre? Opening music is "Mysteries" composed by Don Harper from "The Invasion" and closing music is "Keeler's Transformation Begins" composed by Geoffrey Burgon from "The Seeds of Doom".

The Metebelis Two remember Stephen Moore and his role of Marvin the Paranoid Android from the Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy. Followed by speculation on what the next 1960s Who animation will be, which then leads to a conversation of the University of Central Lancashire's recent restaging of Mission to the Unknown. Should more missing Who be restaged? Who would the two cast as the Doctor? Opening music is "Marvin" sung by Stephen Moore and interstitial stings and closing music is by Trevor Duncan and was from the soundtrack of Mission to the Unknown. (Note: Our sincere apologies that throughout the podcast we mistakenly referred to the wrong university and not University of Central Lancashire.)

Christopher Eccleston is embracing Doctor Who fandom in a big way with appearances at Rose City and New York Comic Cons. Ben is excited that Eccleston is the headliner at next year's Gallifrey One. Ben references two stores in The Guardian. 20 questions with Eccleston and Sylvester McCoy modeling scarves. The two anticipate the screening of the Univesity of Central Lancashire's recreation of Mission to the Unknown and David pitches an idea for "Who in the Park" loosely based off of "Trek in the Park". Ben suggests "Who in the Quarry" may be more of a fit. Then the two close with thoughts on spooky versus scary Doctor Who stories and suggest it will be the theme of the podcast this month. Opening music is "The Doctor's Theme" and closing music is "Clockwork TARDIS", both composed by Murray Gold for Series 1.

This week we pay our respects to Terrance Dicks, the script editor and writer, who made such an enormous impact on Doctor Who and, in turn, our lives. From Target novelisations, to script editing, to original stories, Terrance Dicks was the quintessential professional who lent credibility to every Who-related project he was associated with. Also please donate to Save the Children, in memory of Terrance. Opening this episode is Dicks describing the Doctor's character from the 1993 documentary "Thirty Years in the TARDIS". Closing music is "Eye of Orion" composed by Peter Howell for "The Five Doctors" and followed by former producer Barry Letts asking Dicks how he'd would like to be remembered from "Terrance Dicks: Fact & Fiction" and a brief riff from Dudley Simpson from "Carnival of Monsters".

The Metebelis Two discuss the Pertwee stories that fell in the lower half of the last Doctor Who Magazine (#474) reader's poll and why these stories may deserve reappraisal. With nine stories in all to cover, Ben and David question whether fan wisdom is right on these "lesser" Pertwee outings. Along the way, Ben admires the great man's wardrobe and David pitches the Master's Companions Chronicles for Dr. Ruth Ingram and Stuart Hyde! Plus why Bill Filer should return to Doctor Who. All this and more, much more! Opening music is the "Dalek March" from Cary Blyton's score for Death to the Daleks. Closing music is "II" from Tristram Cary's score for The Mutants.

The concluding episode of the Metebelis Two's three-part celebration of the Jon Pertwee centenary focusing on seasons 9 through 11. Ben explains how first reading Target novilisations made the actual viewing of the stories a bit anticlimatic. BBC productions values of the early 1970s could not compete with the vivid memories of an 8-year-old's imagination, Ingrid Pitt's costume in The Time Monster aside. Then the two do a deep dive into how Omega's guards are pronounced. Is it with a /g/ sound like with gar or a /j/ sound like with jar; on-the-fly research was done and sources were cited. A brief sidebar about the new action figures for Big Finish / Character Option, including Harry Sullivan. Were Ogrons the classic series Judoon? Why was the Master having a bit of laugh in Roger Delgado's final story? Did Mac Hulke not like Pertwee's usual outfits? These questions and more! Opening music is from Dudley Simpson's score for the Frontier in Space and closing music is from his score for Planet of the Spiders.

This is the second episode of our three-part Jon Pertwee centenary celebration. We begin by discussing Pertwee's career post-Who and wonder about Worzel Gummidge. What was the appeal for Jon and the audience? We briefly touch upon his recording career and his tenure as a quiz show host. (Ben, fiercely loyal to Pertwee as Doctor Who, boycotted it all!) Then we begin a retrospective of seasons 7 and 8 and talk about how having a regular company or family of actors on the who probably helped out actors like Pertwee and Nick Courtney. We wrap up singing Roger Delgado's praises and how much his untimely death altered the course of Who forever. Opening music is "Dover Castle" composed by Dudley Simpson. Closing music is "I am the Doctor" with Jon Pertwee.

In this, the first of our three-part Jon Pertwee centenary celebration, we talk about the man who played the Third Doctor and his legacy. Ben notes that Pertwee's Doctor is the first Time Lord and contrasts Pertwee's aristocratic portrayal of the Doctor to the more working-class character of the Doctor that Patrick Troughton gave. David comments on how there is a Pertwee revival now happening in fandom over the past few years. Opening music is "The Axons Approach" composed by Dudley Simpson and performed by Brian Hodgson. Closing music is "Silurians" composed by Carey Blyton. The clip at the end is of Pertwee being interviewed on Pebble Mill by Gloria Hunniford.

The Metebelis Two Ace retrospective continues this week with a discussion about The Genocide Machine, which was the second Big Finish release to feature Ace. The story is very reminiscent of a Terry Nation story with all that entails. So, a jungle planet with Daleks and rather one-dimensional supporting characters. With the Daleks return for the first time since Remembrance was this story able to deliver? The opening sound is a gentle rain fall. Closing music is the Eurythmics' song "Here Comes the Rain Again" from 1983.

We continue our journey with Ace and Doctor Who after the programme ended on BBC One with The Fearmonger. Written by Jonathan Blum and released by Big Finish in 2000, this story is quite relevant to the political climate of today with its anti-immigrant politics and increasingly mainstream fascism. Upon its release, Ben recalls that it seemed a bit farfetched, but giving it a fresh listen to now 19 years later it really stands out as a significant story. David likes how this is a finely crafted mystery and Blum's love for and knowledge of this era is well on display. Both praise how well Ace and the Doctor work together as a team throughout this story. Beautify written, this is a must-listen-to story. Opening music is "First Shooting" from Alistair Lock's score for The Fearmonger. Closing music is the 1978 song "Power in the Darkness" by the English punk band Tom Robinson Band, which stylized fist on its cover was the inspiration for Clayton Hickman's CD cover design.

With Doctor Who in seemingly perpetual hiatus at the BBC, how were fans supposed to get their next fix? Well, the Virgin New Adventures, of course! Ben and David leap back in time to the fag end of Thatcher's Britain and talk about Love and War, Paul Cornell's 1992 novel featuring Ace and introducing Bernice Summerfield. What captured Ben's fancy so long ago that he bought the book? And, why did David never read a NA novel until this past week? Travellers, fungus, hair, and more in this podcast episode. Opening music is from the end of Surivial, "...and Somewhere Else, The Tea's Getting Cold," composted by Dominic Glynn. Closing music is "One Man Rock And Roll Band," written and sung by Roy Harper, recorded at the BBC in the late 1970s and which he played at the last Stonehenge Free Festival in 1984.

This week The Metebelis Two remember the Doctor Who contributions of Paul Darrow and Stephen Thorne, both men, who recently have passed into the Matrix. Then discussion about the auction of colour set and behind-the-scenes photographs of The Power of the Daleks taken by its designer, Derek Dodd; the just announced animation of The Faceless Ones; the Jon Pertwee centenary; and Judoon returning to the show for series 12. Then a feature interview with Jess Jurkovic of the fabulous The Dudley Simpson is Doctor Who Project. Jess has transcribed the Who compositions of Simpson for solo piano and he talks with David about Simpson's music and the art of arrangement. Opening and closing music this week was composed by Simpson and arranged by Jurkovic.

There's nothing wrong with Perivale. Ben theorizes that Rona Munro is channeling the myth of Herne the Hunter as inspiration for the Cheetah people revealing the magic that is hidden in suburban London. Not so much the Cockney urchin that Ace likes to pretend she is, the trip back to Perivale reveals that she perhaps is a spoiled middle class kid whose making a big deal about not much of anything. David notes this story feels much more London than anything London in the modern Who era. Proving that setting is more than just a few set dressings of buses and phone boxes. All-in-all, Survival is a praiseworthy Doctor Who story and sadly the last of the classic era. Opening music is from the score of Survival by Dominic Glynn. Glynn also composed the closing music, "...and Somewhere Else, The Tea's Getting Cold." At the very end, to help celebrate the old western feel to Glynn's score, we ultimately close with the Cellar Set's 2007 interpretation of the theme in "Spaghetti Who."

We podcast again time lord! We've reached the penultimate story in the classic series as we continue on with our Ace retrospective. The Two discover how the Ultima machine could be carried aboard a Russian rubber boat, but get confused about Fenric's bottle and find the Ancient One a tad too cuddly while Ace's awkward attempts of seduction is a bit more scary. Green goo, vikings, vampires, and English weather! What more could you want in a Doctor Who story? Opening and closing music was composed by Mark Ayres for The Curse of Fenric.