Doctor Who: Radio Free Skaro

After last week's mind-melting funfest, things could only go downhill...and they did! The Three Who Rule were unsparing in their criticism of a finale episode that had its moments but seriously underwhelmed. Still, that didn't stop Warren, Steven and Chris from staying mostly on topic and ranting about what will be the last bit of new Who for quite some time. Next week, a Black Orchid commentary, take it or leave it!

"The Stolen Earth," the penultimate episode of Series 4, was a barnburning spectacular of fanwankian proportions, and the RFS crew did their level best to keep their geeky selves in check before effusively praising (or in the case of Chris, begrudgingly praising) a jam-packed episode full of danger, Davros, Daleks, derring-do, and other things starting with the letter "D". Delightful!

Chris absconded to Las Vegas this week for liquor, gambling, and other licentious pursuits, so it was left to the other two pillars of RFS to hold the fort, which they barely managed. The subject at hand? "Turn Left,' which served as not only this season's "Doctor Lite" episode but also as a fantastic return to the series for Billie Piper, not to mention a sterling performance by Catherine Tate. The usual digressions and drivel-making were of course present, but without our tall co-host's derisive sneers and seething hate, it wasn't quite the same.

For once, the Three Who Rule were in total agreement that "Midnight," the psychological thriller/Donna-lite episode of this season's Doctor Who, was a fine bit of viewing. That left us with little else to do besides mock Who overseer Phil Collinson and engage in many a ridiculous digression, as per usual. Next week, Rose, dead Doctors, and atomic weaponry. Allons-y!

Dissent in the ranks this week, as the Third Guy forsakes a life of marital bliss with Who scribe Steven Moffat and rips “Forest of the Dead” a new one. Steven and Warren, on the other hand, were charmed and entertained by the concluding episode of the two-parter that began with last week’s “Silence in the Library,” and thus did vigorous debate and pointless digression occur for about an hour and change.

Silence in the Library marks not only the return of Doctor Who to TV screens after a week's absence but also easily the best episode of the season thus far. The Three who Rule waxed lyrical on the many excellent aspects of this Moffat-penned tome, speculated madly on the mysteries and plot twists sure to be answered next week, and of course digressed and went on mind-melting tangents as per usual.

With the villainy of Eurovision erasing Doctor Who from England's screens for the week, all we were left with was a corking trailer for the second half of Season Four and the wonderful news that Steven Moffat, ace writer and life partner of the Third Guy, will take over whip cracking duties from Russell T Davies come 2010. And, as threatened last week, we actually did a commentary for "The Brain of Morbius", one of Tom Baker's more violent excursions from the classic series. This is by far the longest RFS we've ever done, so let us know by telegraph, carrier pigeon or new-fangled electronic mail if we've jumped the shark or whether you'd like to hear more of our extended ramblings on the Classic Series (which, given the semi-hiatus next year, you surely will in one form or another.)

Another week of lackluster Who, this time set in 1920's England, starring Agatha Christie...and resulting in a bit of inconsequential fluff that added up to an at best average viewing experience. The RFS crew, always ready to make lemonade out of crap, soldiered bravely on and veered so wildly off-topic that they might just have gone full circle and accidentally gone back on topic again. Digressions ahoy!

We never go into a new RFS wishing to slag the living hell out of the latest episode of what is, after all, our favorite program...but we were left with little choice after "The Doctor's Daughter," which had such potential but fuell far short of the mark. Our anger was tempered by the usual news, diversions, and a shout out to our new friends at Tachyon TV....but ouch, here's hoping for better fare from the BBC next week. Still, our balderdash is as engaging and filled with bon mots as ever.

Part two of the return of the Sontarans to the new series hits the critical eye of Steven, Warren, and Chris, and was found not quite up to snuff, though by no means a complete failure Through much banter and balderdash, your illustrious hosts addressed not only the Sontaran shenanigans in question but the upcoming episode featuring the Doctor's daughter (!) as well as some pretty sparse offerings in the way of news.

The Three Who Rule spent a mind-shattering 40-odd minutes conversing about the "Sontaran Stratagem," a fine return to form for the Doctor's beloved potato-headed enemies (unless you ask Chris, he thought the episode was a bit crap.) And good thing too, since there was very little in the news for your intrepid hosts to ponder, though that didn't stop the usual digressions, tangents and nonsense.

Mystery, pathos, and some seriously freaky looking spaghetti mouthed Oods...not a bad episode this week, according to the RFS crew. The Third Guy's (momentary) visit to Edmonton meant a clear signal not muddled by Transatlantic cables or time zone hijinks, but near the end of the podcast Chris managed to slip into a space-time wormhole and only just survived by hanging onto his wireless connection by the skin of his fingernails. Still, japes all round and a fine time was had by all. And next week, the Sontarans return!

In this gripping episode of Radio Free Skaro, the Three Who Rule discuss The Fires of Pompeii, the latest adventure for the Doctor and his erstwhile assistant Donna Noble....and not much else, really. It was a rather slow week for news, though much jocular speculation on the contents of the rest of the season did manage to fill some of the dead, dead air. Next week, fear the Ood!

Doctor Who's fourth season premiered, Torchwood wrapped up its second season, and the Radio Free Skaro crew was reunited, as once again the Third Guy mixed a potent stew of fact checking and invective with Warren and Steven. Much banter was passed back and forth, as well as heaping spoonfuls of abuse, as the crew hashed over the mysteries of "Partners in Crime" and digressed as ever.

With the Third Guy once again AWOL (this time in France) and not much in the way of news in the week prior to the Series Four premiere, Warren and Steven still threw down nearly an hour of jocularity as they discussed both recent Who-ish goings on and took time to reflect on their favorite story from each Doctor's era. Next week, new Who! Oh yes, and Torchwood finale or something.

The Third Guy was absent for this week's podcast, and he missed a heap of news with the release of not only the Series 4 trailer and various teasers on the interwebs but an honest to goodness announcement of April 5th as the airdate of the Series 4 premiere. Warren and Steven tried to hold down the fort through jocularity and sarcasm, but their constant threats involving the Gun of Spite (and later, the Cannon of Hatred) because of the Third Guy's impending trip to Paris and to a studio audience to view David Tennant in person meant an air of amusing menace permeated the proceedings.

The news landscape this week was as barren as a Welsh quarry, and about as interesting, and yet the RFS malcontents managed to blither out a substantial amount of analysis on the newest episode of Torchwood, as well as wax nostalgically about such classics as the Horns of Nimon and the Nightmare of Eden, as well as denigrate the good name of most of the countries in Europe in the name of comedy.

With much news to discuss and an unwelcome loss of sleep due to Daylight Savings Time for the North American portion of the RFS crew, the grump factor was pretty high in this episode, making for the delightful sniping and back and forth beloved by...well, by the hosts, at any rate. Hopefully our wonderful audience found our snarky comments as amusing as we did. We also found time to "meh" it up about the latest Torchwood between the baleful glances and acidic insults.

At a record-shattering hour and a half, this episode of Radio Free Skaro delves into the recent Invasion 2008 convention held over the weekend in the UK, and attended by our very own Third Guy. Thanks to him, we also have audio of the one, the only Tom Baker holding court with many fans on matters great and trivial. There's also some nonsense about Torchwood and dribbles of news, but it's mostly recountings of madcap adventure amongst the Whovians.

Narrowly avoiding the technical snafus of last week, the RFS crew rose to the occasion and produced an hour of witty banter, insults and of course the eagerly awaited pub rumours that were so cruelly stolen from our audience last week by the vagaries of Skype. Besides covering the latest Torchwood (which aired last week on BBC 2 and this week on BBC 3 and two years previous on stone tablets and oh I give up already...) we talked about the latest news, along with the usual digressions and nonsense we've become so very famous for.

This week's podcast is much shorter than usual, due both to a stunning dearth of news to hash over and a boatload of technical problems yonder England way. Still, the RFS crew made valiant effort to spin gold out of lead, though we quite possibly ended up with zinc.

Besides the usual ruminating over the latest Torchwood episode (verdict: meh), the august Radio Free Skaro crew also chewed over this week's news, literally in Warren's case, as he was eating lunch during the podcast. Steven's rancor was raised by any number of topics, and his indignant manner set the tone for more than an hour's worth of jocular banter. Enjoy!

The BBC threw us a nice softball by releasing a "cinema-exclusive" season 4 trailer on February 1st, which someone promptly uploaded to YouTube. The RFS took delight in analyzing and dissecting this tasty morsel, speculating wildly on what are likely innocuous shots of no real relevance. We also discussed the newest episode of Torchwood, hashed over Russell T Davies declaration that he keeps fans at arm's length, and of course went our trademark off-topic ramblings as per usual.

After scheduling snafus and real life intruded to keep us from recording last week, the RFS crew returned to discuss the first two episodes of Torchwood (verdict: pretty decent), speculate on the latest round of rumours, and digress as always into realms nonsensical. And for once we actually came in at under an hour. Enjoy!

Somehow, despite an almost complete lack of news, the RFS crew managed to pack together almost an hour of action-packed banter, hilarity and mumblesuch into the latest podcast. Enjoy our digressions and debate, and stay tuned for next week when we'll have the premiere of the second season of Torchwood to mull over and...well, another 40-odd minutes of banter.

With next to nothing in the way of news, the RFS crew brings you a full 71 minutes and change of rip-roaring commentary on the Doctor Who Xmas Special, "Voyage of the Damned." Does it stand up after a week and a half? Is Warren's Kylie jihad over and done with? Is Steven actually a computer programmed with nothing but Doctor Who facts? Tune in and find out!

Radio Free Skaro returns after a small holiday break with our thoughts on "Voyage of the Damned," this year's Xmas special, as well as our usual roundup of the latest Who news and various other sundry matters. Thrill to Warren's new "Doctor Who in your Pocket" noisemaker! Cheer as Warren and Steven chastise the Third Guy for not attending a curry dinner featuring many luminaries of the classic series! Grit your teeth as we chew up over an hour of your time and bandwidth with our off-color meanderings!

With a mere ten days until Voyage of the Damned, the Radio Free Skaro crew waxed on about the building media blitz prefiguring the Doctor Who Christmas special, including a great behind the scenes article in the Times of London, and ran through what little other news there was this week, though the power of digression pushed us towards the 43 minute mark. W00t!

The Third Guy had a first rate week, and he recounts to both Warren and Steven (and you, dear listeners) how he met Doctor Who scribe Steven Moffat, Sylvester McCoy, Sophie Aldred, superfan Ian Levine, and many many others in his ongoing adventures in the UK. We also have some bits of news and commentary, speculation about the upcoming Christmas special, and the usual tomfoolery and nonsense. All this and there isn't even anything Who related on the air...except us, of course.

The biggest news by far this week was the impending return of Billie Piper in Series Four, a development that has us scratching our heads and debating at great length as to its cosmic significance. That, and the usual yandering on about things Who (of which there was otherwise sparse pickings this week) signify yet another episode of Radio Free Skaro for your listening pleasure.

The 44th anniversary of Doctor Who was marked by two sad occasions with the passing Peter Haining, the author of Doctor Who: A Celebration (the bible of the show in our formative years), and Verity Lambert, the co-creator of the program. But it wasn't all doom and gloom, as we delved into how we celebrated the show's birthday, the conclusion of the first season of the Sarah Jane Adventures, and other bits and pieces. Enjoy!

Time Crash! Yes, the first meeting of Doctors old and new was of course on top of our list of things to talk about, but more or less everything else was Barrowman this and musical theatre that, along with our usual helpings of abuse and miscellany. Enjoy!

Yes, for only the second time in Radio Free Skaro history, two of the hosts of the show were in the same place at the same time, huddled around a single computer in Edmonton. Of course, with the inclusion of the Third Guy, we still used the invisible tethers of the Internet to connect to London, and those tethers eventually snapped, leaving him relaying his messages to us via telegraph and carrier pigeon for the final minutes of the show. But despite the technical difficulties of both this week and last, we pressed on, bringing you a bumper crop of news, sarcasm and a few selections from the Series 3 soundtrack for your listening pleasure.

Another grab-bag episode of diversions, insults and tomfoolery for the Radio Free Skaro crew, as Chris reports in from London on the various Who goings-on from the past week (the biggest being the return of Peter Davison for the Children in Need special in a few short weeks) and all three contribute their opinions and insights to all things Who. And plenty more besides, including insulting straight white males, somehow working stories of the making of SCTV in the mix, and generally shooting their mouths off. Enjoy!

What started as a grab bag of factoids and bon mots degenerated into repeated threats upon the Third Guy's person as we came to grips the full force of our jealousy at his new home of London, England. Along the way we discussed much news, reviewed the newest Sarah Jane Adventure, and tried to figure out if the rumours of Peter Davison donning his old costume and joining with David Tennant for the upcoming Children in Need special were in fact true, only to have the BBC confirm it mere moments after our podcast. Still, jaunty banter and death threats for all.

Our last commentary episode also marks a first, in that the Third Guy called in from London with tales of errant police boxes, playbills aplenty and dodgy internet connectivity. Oh yeah, and we commented on Last of the Time Lords, and were none too kind to it, sending it to bed without diner and making it think long and hard about what it had done.

Warren, Steven and Chris the Third Guy yandered on for a record-breaking 30 minutes before commenting on the Sound of Drums, the penultimate episode of Series Three and not a bad bit of adventure and mayhem besides. At the very least, it's better than Last of the Time Lords, coming up next week.

A high watermark for both the classic and new series, Utopia is an hour of top-rate Who, and the Three comment on it mightily, including some off-color joking about by Warren (Mr. Jacobi, the remark was meant as a joke, so please call off those lawyers, there's a good fellow.) Listen to us gush over Utopia...and oh yeah, a bit or two of news might get covered as well.

With a surfeit of news, the premiere of the Sarah Jane Adventures and Blink, one of the seasons best episodes, as the subject of our commentary, the Three Who Rule had plenty to shoot their mouths off about. And shoot they did, though not always on topic.

Despite Chris (the "Third Guy") being set upon by some sort of throat ailment, the RFS crew set forth and valiantly commentated on "The Family of Blood," the second part of Paul Cornell's season 3 magnum opus and a corking bit of Who into the bargain. We also miraculously rescued 14 minutes of news from the doldrums of between-season uneventfulness.

A truly momentous milestone, as we celebrate our 50th episode of Radio Free Skaro with...well, nothing really. Nothing, that is, except a corking bit of episode-ery known as "Human Nature," one of the highlights of Season 3. Join Warren, Steven, and Chris (otherwise known as the Third Guy) as they expostulate on the fine craftwork and Edwardian elegance of the first portion of Paul Cornell's masterwork.

Steven, Warren and the supremely jaunty Chris tackle 42, a madcap romp through a spaceship hurtling towards a dying sun, for this the 49th episode of Radio Free Skaro. We also tackle the recent announcement of a "gap year" for the series involving three specials in 2009, along with confirmation of the fourth and fifth series. And of course we ramble off-topic as usual about matters of great import.

The Third Guy returns as Chris Burgess joins us once again for our take on "The Lazurus Experiment", a Seaon 3 time-filler redeemed by cool scorpion effects and the fact that it came right after a disastrous Dalek two-parter. We went pretty far off-topic in this one, even breaching the shores of the dreaded Coronation Street (at length), but hopefully our jib-jabber will prove somewhat entertaining nonetheless.

The episode under fire in our commentary may be nothing to write home about, but this week's episode of Radio Free Skaro was indeed special in that it included Chris Burgess, our perennial silent partner and Fifth Beatle. Chris threw in his two bits on Evolution of the Daleks (three guesses as to how he felt about this snoozefest) and managed to inspire awe and fright in both Warren and Steven with his vast and sinister knowledge of all things Whovian.

Warren and Steven tear into what was definitely the lowlight of the season, Daleks in Manhattan, which had all the potential for greatness but failed to live up to its promise every step of the way. At least it gave us ample ammunition for slagging during our commentary, which we did with great relish and abandon. We also cover bits and pieces of news, including the as of yet unconfirmed (but oh so tasty) rumour that Ben Kingsley might play Davros in Season 4.

One of our favorites from Season Three goes under the microscope as Warren and Steven subject "Gridlock" to their witty, nay brilliant commentary. We also veered off into a few other topics off the top, including "Life on Mars" (which Warren is watching and quite enjoying, thank you very much) and the differences between the look of British and American TV. Fore more detail on that subject, check out the discussion on Metafilter, found here: http://ask.metafilter.com/63462/Why-do-British-television-programs-look-different-than-American-programs Next week, expect some venomous bile as we watch and comment upon "Daleks in Manhattan," one of the lowlights of the season.

Warren and Steven wax lyrical as they watch the Shakespeare Code...which came across as quite entertaining when it was the second episode of a new and exciting season of Doctor Who, but after an epic season comes off as a somewhat smaller tale of wordsmithery and witchcraft. No matter, as our intrepid pair use the time allotted to ramble on about things Who and otherwise. Hey nonny nonny!

With no new Who on the horizon for a good long while, we've decided to integrate our regular podcastian ramblings with some rather jaunty (and as usual, rabidly off-topic) commentary to go with each episode from Series 3, starting with this one, recorded during a viewing of "Smith and Jones." Now you can watch Doctor Who with our deep and meaningful musings about the goings-on on screen...at the same time! What an age we live in. Next up, jet packs and robot butlers.

With precious little in the way of new Dr. Who to chew over, Warren and Steven seize upon the fortuitously named episode #42 of this fine podcast to genuflect on Douglas Adams, not only in regards to the Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy but also his contributions to Dr Who to computer gaming and to pioneering work on what would become the World Wide Web. Stay hoopy, and don’t forget your towel!

Our mortal enemy the echo once again victimized us, at least for the first half of the podcast. But it was either re-record everything (not an option at this late hour, and our schedule won't allow another time to record for the rest of the week) or just go with it and beg forgiveness. So we throw ourselves at the mercy of you, our fans, and remind you that we do this show for free. :) Anyway, we jabbered on about Lat of the Time Lords, which was not so good, as well as took a look at the season as a whole and up and coming news regarding season 4. Next up, Episode 42 (two weeks hence, Steven is a busy man) where we'll look at Douglas Adams contribution to both Who and the culture as a whole. Sorry about the echo. Sorry.