Doctor Who: Toby Hadoke’s Time Travels

Space Precinct actor and Gerry Anderson Podcast host Richard James chooses this Peter Davison story to put under the positive magnifying glass that is Happy Times and Places. Perhaps the most traditional seeming story of the Fifth Doctor's first year, The Visitation seems to have fallen out of favour in recent years. So is it a case of a plague on all four episodes or are the story's good qualitie...

Host Toby's childhood friend you've never heard of has suddenly entered entered his life and is posing all sorts of problems! She's persuaded him to watch Let's Kill Hitler and see if he can match my taste in favourite things to that of comedian Ashley Frieze, a colleague of many years standing who is also a knowledgeable and skilled musician. Will Toby and Ashley be in harmony? Meet him at your n...

Well, it is part 5 if a 6 parter so there's not an awful lot of When because most of the key events and decisions regarding The Keys of Marinus have already happened. There's quite a lot of What though, much of it regarding the returning William Hartnell's apparently shaky grasp of some of his lines - and as is often the case, the evidence that is usually presented about this requires a thorough r...

So, guest Daren Thomas has the final episode of The Deadly Assassin in his sights. Will he and your host come up with the same account of its merits or will they have to adjust their feedback in order to make it more palatable? And will there be a surfeit of vulgar facetiousness? What fun this one has been - a bit of a Hinchliffe/Holmes/Baker love-in, if that's what you are after.   Please support...

Once controversial and derided, then celebrated and important, now ... well, it's a matter of perspective innit? We take a journey into the strange, surreal world of the Matrix, which contains many individual moments that would qualify to be chosen as a Best Bit in any number of other instalments. So will Toby and guest Daren Thomas (former Holby City script editor) choose the same one - or will t...

Well, the Doctor is in trouble, framed (and Earth expression) for a crime we know he didn't commit. As he exercises his legal rights and goes hunting for his nemeisis, what things will he do and say that will take the fancy of our guest, Holby City script editor Daren Thomas? And will host Toby Hadoke have to invoke article 17 in order to win this one? WARNING: this is turning into a bit of a love...

A story which has seen its popualrity fluctuate over the years - from being absolutely slated by early fandom when it came out to then being acknowledged as a true classic, it seems to have settled into a more modest position these days. It certainly breaks some rules and has the feeling of being rather important - and of course is made by some of Doctor Who's greats all gathered under one roof to...

Here we go folks - a crashing plane, World War II, Ada Lovelace with a machine gun. Lovely Joe Ford encourages host Toby Hadoke to stop worrying and learn to love the Chibnall era ... and Toby tries very hard. How he does ansd if he succeeds... well, that is up to you :) There's certainly plenty to talk and think about though: especially when some of Joe's favourite things are your host's least fa...

Hapy New Year! Seems appropriate to open the New Year with a season opener - and one first broadcast at his time of year. In Toby years this is a very modern epsiode too - even though it is now (gulp) 5 years old this week! The lovely Joe Ford takes a sabbatical from his brilliant Hamster with a Blunt Penknife podcast to visit the place of happy times. But he's only gone and chosen a story from an...

A classic Doctor Who story which has been chosen by a key figure in the show's animantion range - Martin Geraghty. What will Martin draw inspiration from to celebrate about this moody, spooky, sometimes darkly funny story? Anyway, this is a good one - a terrific story that host Toby Hadoke has a lot of fun revisiting. And as ever the Omnibus has new opening and closing sections - probably only abo...

The very idea of Happy Times and Places is to banish all the humbuggery from Doctor Who discourse, so this seems an ideal episode to chose: and the time of year does it no harm either. Jason Thompson, a veteran of other estimable Who podcasts, is a fine advocate for this Christmas Special which, you host has to admit (grudgingly), he has never really had at the top of his festive watch list. Will...

Human beings are always seeing patterns in things that aren't there aren't they? And Doctor Who fans are a particularly pattern-inlcined subset of the species. We mark our lives by dates, and by Doctor Who, and so certain Doctor Who dates bear a significance just to us - it's all part of our unique relationship with the show. This is about that, and hopefully has some jokes in it too.   Please sup...

A story that means a great deal to the host of this podcast has its praises sung by the most musical of advocates, Jess Jurkovic, the leading expert on Dudley Simpson scores. There has to be some guesswork here, as Fury is sadly missing from the archives, but these acts of the imagination are what being a Doctor Who fan is all about aren't they. So pour yourself a bubble bath and if you see weed,...

And so it's the end of an era, but there are some greatest hits to fit in first. But will any of these greatest hits become greatest bits for your host Toby Hadoke and his special guest, Hollyoaks star Annie Wallace. Spiders! Chases! Buddhism! One thing is crystal clear, this is a story which provokes a lot of conversation, but can Toby be positive about a story he has previously found difficult t...

Happy 61st Anniversary! There are many brilliant Doctor Who podcasts out there (do check them out) but I defy any of them to have celebrated the anniversary in this manner. An epic commentary - positive, of course - of an anniversary flavoured Doctor Who story with a lengthy, charming and insightful set of exclusive audio snippets from one of its key contributors. It's unlikely to be the story you...

Another episode of Doctor Who gets the deep dive treatment. This one again has no William Hartnell action whatsoever, and features a scene that would be unliklely to make it into a modern iteration of the show. Its main guest star gets the biographical treatment, as does an actor who appears at the bottom of the credits in this single instalment and never again in Doctor Who despite having several...

Well, this has been rather rewarding: a lesser known story has proved to have all sorts of interesting elements. And there's been some Patreon feedback too, so before embarking on the final desperate venture the listeners provide some interesting insights. This final episode has it all - new characters, some interesting plot developments, and a bit of philsophy Who-style. But thanks to guest Steve...

Oh, a rare thing - where the episode title is the cliffhanger (yes, the Second Elder is kidnapped too but that really happened last week). There's a vitally iomportant moment in this humble story, as noticed by special guest Steve Lyons. Toby however, disappears down too many actor related rabbit holes to notice because he is an idiot. Still, there's plenty to say about the story even at this late...

A topical podcast! Blimey! As it is Halloween why not have a little think about why Doctor Who is scary, and why that is comehow acceptable for children. What is it about us that has a need to be frightened, and why does this siully show have such a repuation for scares? Happy Halloween - hopefully this podcast is a treat rather that a trick. #doctorwho #doctorwhoreaction #doctorwhocommentary #doc...

Well, the crew are in hot water (because Ian has been drinking poisoned water) and so they need to call upon a montage to help them to save the day. There's confusion afoot in Sensorites-ville, with one of them planning murder in the First Degree - or is that Second Degree? Hmm, not sure, we will have to look at what kind of sash the murder is wearing. Anyway, Steve and Toby give the episode the T...

So... we move (very slowly, it is The Sensorites after all) from the space ship to the Sense Sphere but all is not what it seems on the peaceful planet. Some resent the travellers, and there's a danger so hidden that nobody - bar perhaps everyone watching the episode - will ever guess what it is. This under-celebrated Hartnell tale has charms all of its own, but also gives your host Toby Hadoke th...

They may be Unwilling Warriors but they're still a terrifyung prospect - silent if not deadly, the Sensorites have to walk very slowly round the spaceship lest they run out of corridor. This story has a bad reputation and yet there's much to recommend about this : so will Steve Lyons (Doctor Who writer of note and wit) choose the same thing to celebrate as your host? And can you guess what gets ch...

Oh no. It's the story that everyone doing a Doctor Who marathon experiences their first stumble during. Indeed, it's the point where a number of people bail. Poor old The Sensorites. Even its advocate for this podcast, top Doctor Who writer Steve Lyons, confesses that it his least favourite story of the season. So join Steve as he guides your host very slowly around Captain Maitland's ship in sear...

Remember - Toby Hadoke's Time Travels is currently weekly, not twice a week as is usual: normal service will be resumed in October. Academic and stand-up comedian Oliver Double chooses perhaps the least celebrated slice of Doctor/Donna Who, from a time when the show was riding high in the ratings, in the public eye... everywhere. But what five things will he choose as his favourite - and will your...

A gentle reminder that this month, Toby Hadoke's Time Travels will be weekly as opposed to fortnightly whilst batteries are recharged and general maintenance is carried out.  The next key of Marinus is hiding in a jar in an old man's laboratory, but it's a jungle out there... and jungle that is trying to get in. Before the episode can be transmitted though, there is a row about exactly who came up...