Debating Doctor Who

Alasdair and Caroline hop in our TARDIS to give you an episode we actually recorded back in January! That means we’ve got slightly out-of-date breaking news about new Doctor Who creative forces, Selfie, and an adorable David Tennant moment. Plus we read a bunch of emails from our listeners, discuss New Who’s upcoming 10 year anniversary, and share our favorite multi-episode arcs. Then in our second half we find quite a lot to like in two fun historical romps, “The Idiot’s Lantern” and “The Vampires Of Venice.”

Alasdair and Caroline are back! We take a break from Doctor Who (don’t worry, we’ve got more regular episodes coming soon) for an Oscar Special Podlet. We weigh in with our thoughts on some of this year’s biggest movies and discuss our predictions for tonight’s ceremony. Feel free to listen to this spoiler-free podcast whether you’re a Doctor Who fan or not!

In our first half, Alasdair and Caroline share their thoughts on what they’ve seen in the cinema recently, discuss the mystery of Orson Pink, chat about potential future companions, and give recommendations on how to introduce your friends to Doctor Who. Then in part two, we take a look at two episodes set on brand new worlds. First up, the hosts try to remember what actually happens in “The Long Game" (hint: it’s not much), then they discuss the sacrifices and songs of “The Rings Of Akhaten.”

In our last episode of 2014 we discuss the movies we’ve seen over the holidays, list our favorite Doctor Who supporting characters, and discuss whether or not this season deserves to be called “Clara Who.” Then we dedicate the entire second half of our show to this year’s Christmas special, “Last Christmas.” We weigh in on Shona, Santa, and the episode’s Inception-like structure.

It’s a special Christmas Bonus Episode! Alasdair and Caroline count down their favorite Doctor Who Christmas specials, answer your emails, and discuss two beloved episodes: “A Christmas Carol” and “The Snowmen.” All that plus our last minute predictions for this year’s Christmas special. Happy Holidays!

After a brief hiatus, Alasdair and Caroline are back with an extra long episode! We analyze a recent Moffat interview, count down the authors we’d love to see travel with the Doctor, discuss a 6th Doctor adventure, and check out a Big Finish audio. Then we take a look at two episodes featuring British literary icons. Charles Dickens deals with ghosts at Christmas in “The Unquiet Dead” and Agatha Christie solves a mystery in “The Unicorn And The Wasp.”

Alasdair and Caroline veer off topic to discuss The Hunger Games: Mockingjay, the new Star Wars trailer, and musical theater. We also give thanks for both American Thanksgiving and for some exciting news: Doctor Who has added a female writer for season nine! Then Alasdair and Caroline take one last look back at season eight as they count down their Top Five Favorite Characters and Top Five Favorite Moments from this strong season.

This week is all about YOU! Alasdair and Caroline take a break from our usual debates to read a whole bunch of emails from our listeners. Did this season pack an emotional punch? How did Peter Capaldi do? How does Clara know so much about the Doctor? And what does the future of the show look like? All that and more plus a ton of discussion (and yes, debate) about the strengths and weaknesses of this season.

Season 8 may be over, but Alasdair and Caroline have no plans of slowing down anytime soon! They take a look at the highs and lows of "Death In Heaven." Did this episode live up to the potential of "Dark Water"? And, more importantly, did it live up to the potential of Season 8? While the hosts have differing opinions on that last question, they both agree "The Pandorica Opens"/"The Big Bang" is the best season finale in New Who history. But just what makes that two-parter so strong?

Alasdair and Caroline sort through part one of a two part finale. Can "Dark Water" stand on its own? What are our hopes for next week's conclusion? And what do we think of that huge Missy reveal? Then in part two, we take a look at a rather unsuccessful season finale from the Moffat era, "The Name Of The Doctor." Does this episode work on any level? Alasdair and Caroline think it does (kind of).

A forest sprouts up over night in “In The Forest Of The Night” so Alasdair and Caroline discuss two other episodes that involve trees: “The End Of The World” and “The Doctor, The Widow, And The Wardrobe.” Are these episodes as exciting as they could be? And, more importantly, what is “The Doctor, The Widow, And The Wardrobe” trying to say about motherhood?

Caroline has a lot of contrarian opinions! But first, we share some fantastic Halloween costumes from our listeners, announce our partnership with Following The Nerd, and unveil the brand new Debating Doctor Who logo created by the talented Tyler Feder. Then Caroline and Alasdair discuss the highs and lows of “Flatline.”How does Clara fare as a stand-in Doctor? In part two, things take a turn for the unexpected as Caroline tries to defend one of the most maligned episodes in Doctor Who history, “Fear Her,” and Alasdair tries to defend “42” from Caroline’s irrational hatred.

Division in the ranks! Alasdair and Caroline have very different opinions on “Mummy On The Orient Express.” They hash it all out plus answer a fun hypothetical question from a listener, award a new Danielle Fan Email of the Week, and chat about how hard it is to be a female character on TV. Then in part two, the hosts examine two more dangerous (and very strange) space adventures, “Voyage Of The Damned” and “Dinosaurs On A Spaceship.”

David Tennant is once again on American TV screens! Caroline shares some brief thoughts on Tennant’s new series “Gracepoint.” Then the hosts jump into this week’s controversial new episode “Kill The Moon.” Does the central moral dilemma work? What’s up with Clara and the Doctor’s relationship? And is there a social metaphor going on here? Then in part two Caroline and Alasdair look at two episodes in which the Doctor must make a tough choice: “Boom Town” and “The Girl Who Waited.”

Another week, another round of actual debating! Alasdair and Caroline have plenty of praise for Gareth Roberts’s new episode “The Caretaker” and his season six episode “Closing Time,” but they’re not quite on the same page when it comes to the 10th Doctor adventure “School Reunion.” At least they can agree that Elisabeth Sladen was terrific as Sarah Jane Smith, and that the outfit she wore in her departure scene way back in “The Hand of Fear” was the most ludicrously 70s thing ever!

There’s actually some debating on this week’s episode! Alasdair and Caroline first share some news stories from the Doctor Who world then take a look at the brand new episode “Time Heist.” Is this episode fun or filler? The hosts next examine two more episodes about corrupt institutions with female antagonists: “New Earth” and “Partners In Crime.” The Doctor and Rose’s first proper adventure proves surprisingly divisive.

Everything is terrifying! Alasdair and Caroline discuss the groundbreaking new episode "Listen," then move on to chat about two more spooky entries in the Doctor Who franchise: "Blink" and "Hide."

This week Alasdair and Caroline rob from the rich and give to the poor as they discuss Doctor Who's recent Robin Hood romp “Robot Of Sherwood.” How does this story compare to other pop culture depictions of the Prince of Thieves? Then in part two it's an actual debate! Alasdair and Caroline have very different thoughts on the Victorian werewolf tale “Tooth And Claw,” then come together to point out the flaws of the pirate adventure “The Curse Of The Black Spot.”

We have a super-sized episode centered around war-torn futures (oh boy!). Is the Doctor a soldier, and why does he seem to hate soldiers so much? When is violence justified? We tackle those questions and more as we discuss the brand new episode "Into The Dalek." Then in Part Two we put that episode in conversation with the 10th Doctor tearjerker "The Doctor’s Daughter" and the 11th Doctor adventure "The Time Of Angels" / "Flesh And Stone."

Caroline spent the weekend at Chicago Comic and got the chance to attend the Matt Smith and Karen Gillan reunion panel! She recaps the weekend and shares some highlights from the Matt and Karen event. Then Caroline and Alasdair share their thoughts on Doctor Who's eighth season premiere, “Deep Breath.” Does Peter Capaldi live up to our expectations? We also check in on the pilot episode of Karen Gillan's new show, Selfie. Then in Part Two we look at other episodes that center around introductions: “Rose” and “Smith And Jones.” Do these early episodes still hold up?