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It’s a far worse thing we do now than we have ever done on the podcast… yes, that’s right, we’re going to review The Ultimate Foe. Revisionist agendas and the recent release of the season on Blu-Ray has done little to persuade Andy & Alex of the value of this pantomime-esque runaround which receives their lowest score yet. Andy is incandescent with rage at the Inquisitor who he argues is the most insane person in the history of the series, while Alex’s fury is reserved for the script by good ol’ Pip n’ Jane. Treasure chests of plastic gold, legs waving in the air, megabyte modems, things that are declared to be real and not real at whim, lots of sitting down. All this and the catharsis of spurious morality makes Roland Rat: The Series (which immediately preceded it on BBC1 broadcast) look like high art. Enter the Fantasy Factory at your peril! Next Time: (after a summer break) Spearhead from Space.

It’s time to go back to the heady days of 1982 when Cybermen were cool, death was shocking and the Fifth Doctor was serving as a proxy father to three children. Yes it’s Eric Saward’s game-changing blockbuster Earthshock. There’s no denying that it blew Andy away as a kid but how does he feel about it now? And what does Alex make of this ‘Davison classic’? As usual, many questions abound: ‘Are all of Barbara’s clothes still in the TARDIS?’; ‘Why do some death screams sound like choir practice?’; And most importantly ‘Is Beryl Reid good casting as Briggs?’. All this and much more… Andy recounts going to the funeral of ‘Anne Funeral’ where he met an Earthshock trooper; Alex makes the joyful discovery that she is wearing ‘thermal lance’ coloured toe-nail polish; and the pair both share their knowledge of conference room stationery and chair dresses. It’s quite a ride! In respectful homage to Adric we don’t play any end credit music. It’s not a glitch. Next Time: The Ultimate Foe [Artwork: Alister Pearson]

Hellooooooo! (as an Earth high minister might say to the survivors of an apocalypse). This month Andy & Alex are sat back on tranquiller couches taking condign action as they marvel at the glory that is The Ark in Space. As well as uncovering information that is new to them, such as the fact that Vira was originally meant to be a POC and Nerva's menfolk were intended to be in short shorts, they take a nostalgic sojourn through moments from a story they have known and loved for the past 30 plus years. Andy traces his 90's chauvinism to the phrase 'Good girl Sarah!', while Alex just loves Harry's talk of 'Pompey barracks'. As she sagely declares: 'Every line is part of who we've become.' Other topics of discussion include both Vira's trolley and her medkit, the colour flashes on the Nerva trousersuits, Wirrn pubes, that infamous missing scene, and the perfect storm that is this TARDIS team. Elsewhere, Lou is decoupaging everything in sight, the quiz involves working titles, Alex is watching Bones, and Andy wants 3 hours of his life back for watching half of The Rig. No. Do not move. It is dangerous to move from the tranquiller couch. Next Time: Earthshock

Andy and Alex are still together in Auckland so in a 'High Cockalorum' mood. Will 1983's Frontios prove to be downer? After sharing their new Myers-Briggs types and a story titles quiz that quite frankly stumps them, the pair get into it. They find much to enjoy here, especially Janet's pleather mini and the opening TARDIS scene, but it's not long before gender inequality, script and direction and a sudden obsession with the non-interference of Timelords start to colour their view. They have lots of important questions too... - Is the Doctor's relationship with Tegan abusive? - Why is the story so intent on portraying Turlough's bravery? - And why is there exposed soil in every single room on Frontios? And some less important ones... - How much soil did Tegan get in her knickers when being dragged along? - How did the guy playing Cockerill get cast? - And who the hell is the woman who shouts 'Mr Range'? Who is she? Who is she? Where did you find her?! All this and so much more in your fabulous fun-filled frolicsome February World Enough and Time! Next Episode: The Ark in Space

In this first episode of 2023 - Happy New Year! - Andy and Alex are reunited in Auckland, New Zealand and finally sit side-by-side again while watching and podding about Who. They choose a cosy favourite - Elisabeth Sladen’s swansong The Hand of Fear. But will the story live up to the pressure of being the first they’ve watched together since 2019? Alex is quick to question whether Watson should be shouting the odds and whether he’ll keep his job after the, erm, 'firing missiles at a nuclear reactor' incident, while Andy is amazed that Kastrian electrics are good enough to last 150 million years. Both are keen to understand Eldrad’s original plan to go back in time in the TARDIS. Is it to stop themselves from being obliterated, and, if so, wouldn’t there be two Eldrads? We also learn a lot about a couple of supporting characters who don’t make it on screen: Loreen Watson and Mary Ann Driscoll. While IRL Andy muses when exactly Tom Baker dated the story’s make-up artist Judy Neame. Elsewhere Alex details The Curse of Dungarees, there’s an 80s Master quiz and Lou Jameson just ‘wants to be’. All this and an acapella rendition of The Sandman. With this 52nd episode we are really spoiling you. Next Time: Frontios

Is it hot in here or are we just in a parallel universe? Andy & Alex uncover sexual metaphor aplenty as they grab Greg’s huge pipe, experience a dodgy flange, and get all angry (and hairy) as they reach Penetration Zero. To say nothing of Benton drilling his troops. Yes, its Inferno, that highly-regarded Season 7 story which warns of the dangers of fracking, patriarchal arrogance, and of smearing green goo on your face. The pair agree that there is much to enjoy here but both declare that unlike parallel Liz, Greg and Petra they wouldn’t risk their lives to save parallel Andy and Alex. As Alex succinctly puts it: ‘Parallel Alex can go f*** herself!’ They also muse that a better name for the project would have been the 'Entirely Safe' project rather than 'Inferno'! They also discover that Stahlman means Man of Steel, that giant name badges are very much on trend, and that Doctor Who is very good at chronicling society's changing relationship with computers. See! We can be serious sometimes. Elsewhere we find out that Louise Jameson has taken up shitsu massage (or is that shiatsu?) and the Time Space Visualiser is on the brink. All this and Sean Maguire and Lulu too. Quiet at the back, Alex is undertaking a complex scientific task! Next Time: The Hand of Fear

It's our 50th episode! To celebrate our golden jubilee we have a quick look back through our podcast archives to dig out some of our favourite and silly moments from the past 4 years. Surprise guests include: @hannahbeeblogs, Kieran Hodgson off Two Doors Down, and the Cailleach! Elsewhere, Nightmare of Eden and Invasion of the Dinosaurs are in the Time-Space Visualiser and the quiz focuses on the life and times of Nicholas Courtney in 'Courtney or Court-nay'. We also review the missing Hartnell historical Marco Polo. Alex has unwisely watched it all in one sitting, while Andy relied on a gatefold LP and Lou & Lalla acting out the entire story in a specially constructed pergola in his back garden while swigging back elderflower presse in straw hats. Several fascinating matters are also discussed in relation to early Who. While Alex suggests that John Lucarotti might actually have nicked Marco Polo due to his preference for radio, Andy recounts what may be the most important Doctor Who memo of all time, written by the director of episode 4 (The Wall of Lies) John Crockett. Andy also reminisces about the time he was almost found in contempt of court and Alex obsesses about horses and distances again. Yes it's exactly what you might expect from an episode of World Enough and Time, only a bit longer than usual - some might say bumper - and a bit more gilt-edged. See the finish! Enjoy! We love you. Andy & Alex xxx Next Time: Inferno (gosh!) Photo colourised and restored by Clayton Hickman.

It's hard not to be disappointed by The Armageddon Factor, but Andy and Alex do their very best to find the good in it. While Andy is intrigued by the original script Alex remembers the wonder of convention video rooms. The bottom line though is that if you're counting the number of transmats or finding joy in the squeak of a supporting character then there's something wrong with the story at hand. Elsewhere there's a very topical quiz, while the Time-Space Visualiser gives us The Greatest Show in the Galaxy and, appropriately enough, The Chase! Next TIme: Marco Polo (our 50th episode!)

Andy & Alex return from their summer break on Florana and join the Doctor and Romana holidaying in Brighton ahead of their visit to The Leisure Hive. Along the way they discuss why the Argolin should wear hats, the blatant scarfography in the story and the embarrassment that was Andy's mid-90s email signature. Elsewhere Andy explains the 'Tachnyonic Creative Moment', which begat Pangol, chiefly to wind Alex up and it works like a charm, while Alex remembers the horror that was 'the Clickers'. There's also a quiz and The Brain of Morbius and Survival feature in the Time-Space Visualiser. We hope you enjoy our latest pod xxx Next Time: The Armageddon Factor

Andy and Alex explore what has been called the most missing of Hartnells, The Savages, and find plenty to talk about. Why does Steven perpetually gaslight Dodo and why do Who fans not talk about it? What exactly are the Elders actually extracting from their victims and what is left behind? And, most importantly of all, who would have been a far better candidate to lead the troubled people of this planet? Andy was lucky enough to watch Josh Snares brilliant telesnap restored Episode 1 and the Loose Cannon animations while Alex experiences the fever dream that is a cartoon version of episode 4 in which everyone looks like Ian Chesterton, Dodo has been, er, enhanced, and Steven appears to have taken up ballet. Elsewhere, the Time-Space Visualiser has had an upgrade courtesy of Spotify and can only now play extracts from classic Doctor Who episodes, while this month’s quiz answers all begin with the letter Z. Thanks to the wonderfully named Nanina we also have several guest appearances from 90s pop starlet Whigfield. Nanina also inspires us to discuss when Kerry Bishop got killed at a duck shoot in Neighbours and from there we also get to Joe Mangel’s time on Dancing On Ice. This month's cover image was lovingly restored and colourised by Clayton Hickman and is reproduced here with his permission. Thanks for listening lovely people. Next Time: The Leisure Hive

Andy and Alex celebrate the very first Doctor Who anniversary special and as usual pose many burning questions: What would Omega wear during lockdown? What is an alternative name for a horse blanket? And Where does Jon Pertwee end and the Third Doctor begin? While Andy notes just how much of the story Terrance of Dicks nicked for The Five Doctors, Alex is thrilled to see black goose neck taps in the UNIT lab. She also leaves Andy no choice but to join the Gellguard Defence League. Join today! Elsewhere there's Michael Aspel, C&A, Littlewoods and a touch of Osmonds-mania. All life is here! Next Time: The Savages

Andy and Alex stumble on a galax-ident (that's a galaxy accident to the uninitiated) waiting to happen - the William Hartnell tale The Ark. They find much to enjoy in this H G Wells inspired story and it prompts them to discuss racism, slavery and even long-COVID. Along the way they ask ALL the important questions: Why are the Refusians so keen to be colonised? Is miniaturisation fair punishment for leaving a valve open? And is genocide ever splendid? Also we really want to know why there's a drawing of a double-headed unicorn in the Ark's jungle?. Please do write in and let us know your thoughts (i.e. tweet). As usual there's quiz, this time from The Third Doctor Who Quiz Book, and musical shenanigans on the Time-Space Visualiser. Next Time: The Three Doctors (The excerpt at the start of this episode is from Paul Erickson's novelisation of The Ark).

This month's story prompts Alex to remember what can only be described as 'a day of nicking' back in 1993. And having bravely shoplifted the story she can't help but feel a greater investment in this particular Davison adventure. There is much talk of Liza Goddard (and Lionel Blair), the blond one from Kajagoogoo, and what Nyssa had for breakfast. All in all its so 1983 it hurts. There's 2 tracks from the chart in the weeks that Terminus was broadcast, over the knee thigh boots, and more blusher than you can shake a stick at. As usual, the pair ask and answer some important questions: Why is no-one surprised that Terminus has time travel capability? Where are all the Lazars who survived? Why is the plague ship so grimly decorated? Why does Tegan call a crowbar a prybar? And are any of the Lazars lezers? They agree that the Garm is super cute and that Bor is one of the best supporting characters ever to grace the series, but they are much less enamoured with the Black Guardian bits and all the ducting. And as they hurtle towards a conclusion they agree that Nyssa's likely fate after the TARDIS leaves is very dark indeed. But it's not all grey and beige, as they discuss in a bumper Dressed for Success segment. The perfect moment for Andy to explain why he has a sexy Robin Hood outfit. it's high time Terminus was reappraised and this podcasting duo are primed and ready. We love you all. Next Time: The Ark

Andy and Alex find Paradise Towers in a state of disarray. Despite their best intentions to build high for happiness, they are confronted by inconsistent world-building, over-acting, and, worst of all, toxic masculinity. Has anything changed for the pair since their first watch of this early McCoy at the ages of 15 and 9 respectively? Did it prompt Andy to regret the decision he took a few short weeks earlier to cancel his Doctor Who Magazine subscription? And just how much did the young Alex enjoy Bonnie's outfit? All this and plenty of discussion about cannibalism, squirty cream, and weird triangular splashbacks. Elsewhere The Pet Shops Boys and Dusty Springfield, and Kylie Minogue get us grooving like science teachers in front of the Time-Space Visualiser and Alex has a quiz beginning with the letter B. Please remember: No flyposts. No ball games. Thank you please. Next Time: Terminus

It's 2022 and Andy and Alex celebrate the fact that its 30 years (30!) since The Tomb of the Cybermen was returned to the archives. Well they don't exactly celebrate this as I've only just worked it out for these episode notes but it's a neat milestone all the same. During proceedings Alex orders 'a bottle of a bottle', Andy fails to print his podcast notes, and a robin in a black cagoole causes a commotion. When it comes to talking Tomb, Andy pronounces Telos correctly and vociferously defends Victoria, Alex calmly explains why none of Doctor Who should be cancelled, and there’s a long tale of Shirley Cooklin (Kaftan) getting a little pissed off at a funeral. Elsewhere, this month’s quiz is ‘Tomb or Boom’, RuPaul features on the Time-Space Visualiser, and there’s even a little contemporary Flux-based discussion. More importantly than any of the above neither Alex of Andy are wearing orange underwear as they will explain! The more knowledgeable Who fans will realise that I get the Denise Buckley story wrong. In fact, Alex is dead right that the re-casting of Victoria was to do with Pauline Collins. Oh well. Not quite seamless in post. Happy New Year to you our lovely listeners. Next Time: Probably a McCoy. (This episode's opening words are from the prologue of Gerry Davis's novelisation of Tomb)

After a brief hiatus - they got caught in a time eddy - Andy and Alex return to tackle Andy's favourite story of all time: Pyramids of Mars. It's a story they first watched at a chimney sweep's house in North Northumberland in the mid-Eighties (the chimney sweep was one of the few villagers with a video player!). Andy feels Pyramids is part of his very being and is regularly reduced to just making noises that express his love for the story while Alex muses that between them they must have watched it over a 100 times! Along the way Andy tells the story of what happened to him in the Tomb of Tuthmosis III, remembers organ music at Manopticon 1994, and details what 'isomorphic controls' refers to in his house. Alex meanwhile is reminded of the work of Sylvain Neuvel, recalls buying canopic jars from China, and explains how she completely identifies with Sutekh's fury while trying to crochet! The pair also share their fear of free-flowing jazz and agree that Horus' puzzles are a bit shit. They also ask whether this adventure should really be called Pyramid of Mars singular. Controversial! Musical stylings are provided by Fuzzbox and Minnie Ripperton. There's an unlikely pairing for you. Until next time...

This extra episode is an interview with the wonderful Neil Cole, curator and custodian of the Museum of Classic Science-Fi in Northumberland, recorded during my hols last week. We talked about how the museum came to be, his long off-and-on relationship with The Garm (from Terminus), the sourcing of his beloved Galsec rifle (from The Sontaran Experiment), restoration of a Cheetah person (from Survival), and how he came to have the terrifying Broton, leader of the Zygons (from Terror of the Zygons) in the museum. I also heavily tease a brand new and thrilling exhibit that will be revealed on Neil's Facebook pages soon, that I was lucky enough to see being unboxed while I was there. My only regret was that my irrepressible co-host Alex was not with me too! Neil is a genuinely lovely guy and it would be great if you can support him and the museum by visiting, becoming a patron, or just liking his Facebook page: The Museum's Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/neilcoleadventuresinscifimuseum Become a patron: https://www.patreon.com/themuseumofclassicscifi Museum website: https://www.museumofclassicsci-fi.com

Join Alex and Andy as they travel to Lanzarote (or is it Sarn?) for the penultimate Davison story Planet of Fire. What will they make of Peri's entrance and Turlough's exit? Why is this month's Dressed for Success such a bumper segment? How exactly does the Trion prison planet system work and was Sarn (or is it Lanzarote?) ever fertile? And if so, why? Elsewhere the return of the 'Planet or Planot' quiz has a Blake's 7 twist and the Time Space Visualiser takes us back to 1984 and the present day. Happy 'Boobs and Budgie Smugglers Sunday' to you all! Don't miss our extra episode released today at 9am: an interview with Neil Cole, curator of the amazing Museum of Classic Sci-Fi which boasts a truly wondrous range of Doctor Who exhibits.

It's joyful for Andy to be reunited with Alex again in their joint podcasting endeavour to watch and critique all of classic Doctor Who. The story is the Season 2 finale The Time Meddler which sees a new TARDIS crew and an unforgettable guest star in Peter Butterworth as The Meddling Monk. But before we get to the time meddling there's a quiz on Prehistoric Monsters in Doctor Who and some Adventures in History. While the Time-Space Visualiser favours Malta's recent Eurovision entry and a 1965 classic made more familiar by sketch show Smack the Pony (although Andy forgot this while recording). And onto the shenanigans in Northumbria... where Edith's obsession with feeding visitors doesn't go unnoticed and the glorious reveal of the Monk's TARDIS is celebrated. Despite being something of a purist Andy watched the story in colour and felt it added considerable interest to a story that had never really engaged him before. He also goes on about the Danelaw and how the Vikings were already settled in England in 1066 while Alex feels the Dressed for Success cupboard is pretty bare. All this and Babs Windsor in Crooks in Cloisters too! Why not join us for a heck of a lot of monkery, blackberries and venison? Next Time: Planet of Fire

It's 1971 and Doctor Who is being reinvented for its 8th season! New companion! New recurring villain! New Autons! But what do Alex and Andy make of it? While there is much love for a particular stunt sequence and the horribly decorated interior of Rossini's grubby caravan, the pair struggle to like the story and reflect on why it might be that they've only watched it a few times. They have questions too. Boy, do they have questions! Why does Farrell merely 'not take to The Master' when he raised his arm to thump him? What would adults do with that troll doll? And why does The Master suddenly give up his entire plan?! Let's not even mention that Morse Code sequence. Along the way they make sidesteps into The Brothers and Blue Peter and as usual there's a jolly quiz, trips back into musical yesteryears courtesy of the Time-Space Visualiser, and for the first time the story is scored by the 'TARDISes out of 10' metric. So go make yourself a cup of coffee in your CSO kitchen and prepare to cosy up for some classic Who podcastery. Next Time: The Time Meddler