Always Foolish: A Positive Doctor Who Podcast

On this episode we're getting well into the depths of series 15's horror classic, The Well. Does this episode benefit from being a sequel to Midnight? Why does David love quarries? How heartbreaking is Rose Ayling-Ellis' performance? Did the wirework union step in here? Does ambiguity enhance a story? And are we ready for Doctor Who and the Mystery of the Crucified Skeleton? Answers to all these q...

On this episode we're luxuriating in the madness of series 15's second story, Lux. Trigger warning for discussions of racism. Is this episode about the importance of human connection? Does David know what an eclipse is? How perfect is Alan Cumming as Mr Ring-a-Ding? How long does a conclave last? Can you go too meta with Doctor Who? Will Tom die on Mount Everest? What is RTD trying to say through...

On this little bonus episode, David takes Tom through his top Mrs Flood conspiracy theories. Is she the Rani? Is she a god? Is she no one of particular note? Get ready to get hype, or if you're hearing this later, get ready to laugh at how silly we were because she was obviously Tara from the Androids of Tara. Always Foolish is a positive Doctor Who podcast, about finding things we like in episode...

On this episode we're revolting against our usual format to discuss the Season 15 opener, The Robot Revolution. Is this an effective season opener? Do we need more dead cats? Does RTD handle incels and coercion appropriately? What about K9's X-rated spin-off? What do we think of the spiky Doctor-Belinda dynamic? Is David an American sleeper agent? Why do we love retrofuturism? And could we be deal...

On this episode we're offering up our opinions on series 7's song-filled story, The Rings of Akhaten. What does the ending say about potential? Will the cashless economy defeat Akhaten? What should Doctor Who mean to kids? How much is it to rent a moped? Is the Doctor kind of the villain of series 7? Where did Clara's dad buy that leaf? Also the Doctor and Clara definitely killed all those people....

Welcome to the first of what will be our yearly tradition - The Dimensions in Time Loop, where we lose our minds over Doctor Who's bizarre Eastenders crossover, Dimensions in Time (1993). Why does Kate O' Mara take this so seriously? Did Mandy steal the vote from Big Ron? Does quality matter in a charity special? How does Doctor Gun fit into this? What was the impact of DiT? Is K9 barred from the...

On this episode, we discuss the latest news for series 15, from exciting casting to a mysterious trailer to David's novel novel theories. We also offer wild speculation, which contrary to popular belief, isn't news. How excited are we for Juno Dawson? What colour do associate with the Black Guardian ? Is that a big robot Anansi? How did Alan Cumming get deported? Will the next series have a darker...

The next instalment of quiz game, so play along at home! Can Tom work out which of these Big Finish stories is a big fake? Can David stop talking about Jago & Litefoot for 5 seconds? What ever happened to our other co-host? Did Douglas Adams ever meet a vampire? Answers to all these questions on this episode of Always Foolish. Always Foolish is a positive Doctor Who podcast, about finding thin...

On this episode we're wrapping up warm to watch RTD1's era wrap up, The End of Time. And finally the secret third member of Always Foolish is revealed. Is this story too self indulgent? Is David Tennant betting on the greyhounds? Does this episode sum-up the 10th Doctor's era? How wonderful is Bernard Cribbins? Will Obama fix the economy? What does Russell have to say about The Master's mental sta...

Tom's on holiday and David has family stuff so we've pulled the emergency hammer and deployed another quiz episode. Can David determine which of these weird eighth doctor novels is a fake? Can Tom resist the urge to soapbox about Fitz? Is David a Minecraft villager? Answers to all these questions on this episode of Always Foolish. Always Foolish is a positive Doctor Who podcast, about finding thin...

On this episode we're bringing happiness to the globe by talking through 2024's Christmas special Joy to the World. Did this episode really need a villain? And should it have been the time hotel? Would you tape bread to a pig? What was Moffat trying to say about hope and loneliness? Can the 9th Doctor dunk? How deep does the pandemic motif go? How does Boris Johnson (boo hiss) watch Doctor Who? An...

Merry Christmas and a happy holidays from all of us at Always Foolish. On this little Christmas investigation, a sleep deprived David delves into the history of Doctor Who Christmas specials, searching for the true first go. Along the way there'll be diversions, impressions and, of course, Big Finish. A full Christmas episode will be coming shortly too. Always Foolish is a positive Doctor Who podc...

On this episode we're sailing into series 6's swashbuckling siren song, The Curse of the Black Spot. Would this benefit from clearer logic? What happened to the planet Explodesigor-9? How good is Hugh Bonneville as pirate-dad? Does Toby Zed do his homework? Is this a secret comedy episode? How much medical training does the Siren have? (None). Are review scores affected by position in a series? Ho...

We're still off sick, so David's pulled the emergency hammer and deployed a new quiz show format. Can Tom work out which of these Big Finish audios is a secret lie? Can Tom talk about Big Finish without having an aneurysm? Does David have a life? Answers to all these questions on this episode of Always Foolish. Always Foolish is a positive Doctor Who podcast, about finding things we like in episo...

We're off sick this fortnight, so please enjoy a compilation of some of our favourite bits plus a couple of deleted scenes that didn't make the edit the first time round. We'll be back with regularly scheduled content soon. Is Martha a murderer? What would the Paternoster Gang do in Japan? Which Beatle would be the most powerful Avenger? Where does Doctor Gun come from? What do drugs come from? Do...

On this extra Hallowe'en investigation David delves into the the scariest thing in the Doctor Who universe, a real life murderer whose curse still looms large today. Always Foolish is a positive Doctor Who podcast, about finding things we like in episodes we don't. We pick out our favourite bits for these stories, and suggest quick fixes to some common critiques. Please, listen, share and rate the...

On this episode we're dying to talk about the series finale, Empire of Death. Is this story really a disappointment, or is there a lot of gold in here? What case is next for Sutekh's detective agency? What was Russell's metafictional narrative? Who will play Olaf in the frozen crossover? If you point at a sign at a church and there's no one around to see it, does it name your baby? Answers to all...

On this episode we're collecting the bounty on Doctor Who's recent regency romp, Rogue. Isn't this episode just so much fun? How did Abraham Lincoln really die? What is Rogue saying about exploitative tourism? What does a Chuldur do on their gap year? What new energy does Johnathan Groff bring to Who? What happens offscreen in Oppenheimer? Answers to all these questions on this episode of Always F...

On this episode we're staring in shocked silence at Doctor Who's most prescient episode, Dot and Bubble. Trigger warning: This episode contains significant discussion of racism How many layers can we find in this episode? What T-shirts should the slugs wear? How incredible is Ncuti's performance? Who does Ricky September look like? How does social media interact with racism? Do the people of Finet...

On this episode we're standing blurrily off in the distance to discuss Doctor Who's weirdest episode, 73 Yards. Can we ever know what this episode about, or is that the point? What did Kier Starmer's dad do for a living? What was RTD saying politically? Why is Ruby pro-animal testing? Can we make that ending make sense? And just how long is a yard? Answers to all these questions on this episode of...

Lads on tour - David & Tom have been to the Doctor Who Proms. We're bringing you our thoughts on the event and the music of Who in general, plus some of the weird stuff that went down. What are our favourite tracks? Why lick Peter Capaldi? Was there too much from season 14? Did David almost get arrested? How can an audience change the impact of a song? How great was it when Moffat entered the...

We're back, exactly 73 days after our last episode (what are you planning Russell?!) On this episode we're exploding back onto the scene to discuss Steven Moffatt's latest high concept tension builder, Boom. What is the political core of the episode? Who would Eric Roberts play in Boom? Did the episode benefit from 'The Volume'? Why does Splice Vator sound like an action hero? How should Doctor Wh...

WARNING: Contains spoilers for the Legend of Ruby Sunday On this episode we're taming the beast that is the Legend of Ruby Sunday, with our immediate reactions having gone in blind. Was there too much filler? Or did the episode have a solid emotional core? How excited are we that Sutekh's back? How smug are we that we called it? Are we satisfied with the Susan twist? What would the god of Death gi...

David's back from Big Finish day, and he's taking Tom through the funniest things that happened at the event. What were the breaking new announcements? Which guest was the loveliest? Where does Stephen McGann live? How much money did David waste? Where does the First Doctor buy his clothes? Is that Rob Shearman? Answers to all these questions on this episode of Always Foolish. Always Foolish is a...

On this episode we're showing up late to the party and discussing Space Babies and The Devil's cord. With a special guest! Was Space Babies just the right level of silly? Was the ending sweet or saccharine? Where are all the tiny skeletons? How good was Jynx Monsoon? What was their dentistry bill after chewing all that furniture? How would Robert Oppenheimer make a sandwich? Which Beatle can defea...