Through the Vortex: Classic Doctor Who

SEPTEMBER UPDATE: Sorry, all, moving international is difficult and I need a bit more time to get things together for the podcast. This is not an abandoned project—just a lot going on that makes recording difficult. Things should soon settle back down and a regular schedule will resume! Previous: Sorry for the unexpected disruption in the schedule. I do have some upcoming exciting changes for the...

Doctor Who does Atlantis....for the first time! The Doctor, Ben, Polly, and Jamie end up getting kidnapped by a group of people living under the ocean who want to sacrifice them to their goddess. They are saved by the scientist Zaroff, but it quickly becomes clear his plans for Atlantis will be earthshattering. A serial that has a lot of potential it never quite realizes, but still an entertaining...

After the Battle of Cullouden, the Scottish Highlanders who fought for Bonnie Prince Charlie are desperately seeking safety as the English brutally butcher the "traitors." When the Doctor, Ben, and Polly meet up with Jamie McCrimmon and his "Laird," they soon find themselves attempting to escape the English redcoats trying to hang them or sell them into indentured servitude. On...

The Daleks are mobile and they are getting their power....at any cost. Enter a scheming would-be dictator, kidnapping, blackmail, false imprisonment, a mad scientist, and some very annoying recorder music. The newly-regenerated Doctor must think quickly to save the people of Vulcan. In short, David Whittaker (the writer) is a genius.  DALEK: Why do human beings kill human beings? BRAGEN: Get on wi...

A newly regenerated Doctor, Ben, and Polly land on the planet Vulcan and witness a murder.  Now they must investigate a colony on the verge of Civil War where a scientist has discovered a capsule buried thousands of years with a familiar foe trapped inside.... In Part I, we are examining Episodes 1-3 and focusing primarily on the introduction of the Second Doctor. Next Time: Serial #30: The Power...

Today, we are taking time to look back at Doctor Who's first three producers, their teams, their visions , and their contributions to the show. Enter Verity Lambert, John Wiles, and Innes Llyod! NOTE: The pollen is really bad here in Georgia right now, and I've really been struggling with congestion, which has made recording a bit difficult. Hoping to return to the regular weekly schedul...

Taking a moment to celebrate our First Doctor! I will be discussing the Doctor's character arc in this period of the show, Hartnell's wonderful performance, the Companions that define the Doctor, and some of the later appearances of the First Doctor in Classic and New Who. This one is extra long as an apology for missing last week! UPCOMING: Behind the Scenes: The First Doctor We are goi...

The end of an era. The TARDIS lands at the South Pole. The Doctor is ill. And Ben & Polly must contend with an invading group of aliens from the planet Mondas…better known as the planet of the Cybermen! KRAIL [CYBERMAN): Care? No, why should I care? POLLY: Because they're people and they're going to die! KRAIL (CYBERMAN): I do not understand you. There are people dying all over your...

We are going to celebrate the great one-off villains of the First Doctor's era by counting down some of the best! No monsters or faceless hordes (so leaving off the Daleks--they got their own episode:-) but rather we are looking at the megalomaniacs, the schemers, and the scoundrels. Some are funny, some are scary, some are down-right devious, but all are unforgettable. In Part III we will lo...

We are going to celebrate the great one-off villains of the First Doctor's era by counting down some of the best! No monsters or faceless hordes (so leaving off the Daleks--they got their own episode:-) but rather we are looking at the megalomaniacs, the schemers, and the scoundrels. Some are funny, some are scary, some are down-right devious, but all are unforgettable. In Part II we will loo...

We are going to celebrate the great one-off villains of the First Doctor's era by counting down some of the best! No monsters or faceless hordes (so leaving off the Daleks--they got their own episode:-) but rather we are looking at the megalomaniacs, the schemers, and the scoundrels. Some are funny, some are scary, some are down-right devious, but all are unforgettable. In Part I we will look...

In a small coastal town in the 1600s, a priest is terrified for his life and confides a riddle to the Doctor that will reveal the secret to Pirate Avery's lost treasure. Soon, the Doctor is kidnapped, Ben and Polly are charged with murder, and smugglers, pretend-witches, and pirates all collide! AKA Doctor Who and PIRATES! _____ BEN: Oh great! The way things are going there probably won'...

We've made it through Doctor Who's third season, AKA the season where the show transitioned into the form it would retain for the next 60 years. The Doctor is our wise hero accompanied by a plucky companion providing the human element. It's an uneven season--some of the best serials the show has ever done and...really no bad serials but some that are very unmemorable. We'll dis...

Oh, Dodo....there was so much potential with this companion that was squandered. It often feels as if the writers just held her in contempt but didn't want to write her out of the story. And that's a shame. Dodo could have been an interesting companion if anyone had bothered figuring out her story. We are going to take a moment to celebrate the good parts and mourn what could have been....

In 1966, in a tall London tower, Professor Brett has developed the computer WOTAN that can think for itself and will soon impartially run all the computers in the world to improve the human race's efficiency....WOTAN unfortunately has other ideas. AKA Doctor Who enters the swinging 60s for the first time and the Doctor begins his war against machines.  _____ DOCTOR: Are you seriously telling...

Taking a moment to celebrate one of Classic Who's most underrated gems: Steven Taylor!  The man who escaped a Mechanoid City and nearly died for a teddy bear who goes on to become a leader uniting Elders and Savages. Noble, headstrong, a tad  immature, and a more than a bit silly, Steven deserves more love y'all. Steven is arguably the Companion to the First Doctor who goes through the m...

In the far distant future there exists an almost perfect civilization with wealth, knowledge, and great scientific advancements. They have tracked the Doctor's progress through time and space and eagerly await his predicted arrival.... but how have they achieved such greatness? And who are the Savages who lurk beyond the City walls? AKA Doctor Who does another allegory on why capitalism is ba...

The Doctor, Steven, and Dodo end up in Tombstone, Arizona....right before the shootout at the O.K. Corral. AKA Doctor Who does a Western! Yes, it is as fabulous as you think it will be.  One of the funniest episodes of the era. Just beware of the song...it will remain in your head for the rest of your life.  _________________ DOCTOR: Oh, my dear Dodo, my dear Dodo. You know you're fast becomi...

Finally, we reach the end! This is my the third and final episode examining my thoughts on Jodi Whittaker's Regeneration Special "The Power of the Doctor." In this final part, I am focusing in on our Thirteenth Doctor and her companions. In short, I think they deserved better. Still, there are some great moments. Enjoy! NOTE: All three parts of this review were recorded the day afte...

We are back again! Continuing my thoughts on "The Power of the Doctor," Jodi Whittaker's regeneration special and Doctor Who's contribution to the BBC Centennial Celebrations, this time we are focusing on our dear Master, the Master-Cybermen, and the Daleks. Some great ideas in here even if they are a bit too rushed to be fully explored. Seriously....the Master as Rasputin. Gol...

The Thirteenth Doctor's Regeneration Special and Doctor Who's tribute to BBC's centennial celebrations, this is definitely an event episode. And dear goodness does it try to cram in a lot! I had a lot of thoughts on "The Power of the Doctor." Clearly. This will be a three-part review. Part I is discussing the Classic Who elements of "Power," Part II will discuss...

The Doctor is suddenly invisible in the TARDIS! Soon Team TARDIS discovers it has landed in the domain of the Celestial Toymaker. An eternal being with near infinite powers, the Toymaker traps others in his realm to play games (he's very bored). Now, the Doctor, Steven, and Dodo must win--or they will be trapped forever as the Toymaker's playthings.  _____ DOCTOR: You need me? TOYMAKER:...

The Doctor, Steven, and Dodo arrive on an Ark...in space! The remnants of the human race has joined forces with a race known as the Monoids. Together, they have fled Earth before it is overtaken by the Sun and are heading to the planet Refusis 2 where they hope to re-establish civilization.  Unfortunately, Dodo has a cold....and the humans and Monoids of the distant future have no resistance to th...

A special episode exploring Lucarotti's three fantastic historical serials: "Marco Polo," "The Aztecs," and "The Massacre." Considering one writer's themes and his contributions to the early years of Doctor Who. Marco Polo: MARCO POLO : Move not merely from one place to another, but from today into tomorrow, today to yesterday? No Ian, that I cannot believe....

Still reeling from the traumatizing events of "The Daleks' Masterplan," Steven and the Doctor land in France days before the St Bartholomew's Day Massacre. Separated from the Doctor, Steven gets caught up with the Huguenots who fear a plot to assassinate the newly married Protestant Prince Henry of Navarre.  _____ TAVANNES: Thank God. CATHERINE: God had very little to do with i...