Radio Free Skaro #959 - Time of the Season

Doctor Who returns! Two new episodes dropped this weekend as we enter both the wacky madcap hijinks of “Space Babies” and the outright lunacy of “The Devil’s Chord”! What did the Three Who Rule think of CG baby mouths, Jinkx Monsoon vamping all over the place, Beatles instrument accuracy and more? Listen to our multi-hour discourse but know this: the twist at the end is that song isn’t very good. Plus the media onslaught continues with Ncuti Gatwa on Canadian radio, RTD dropping secret controversies in Men’s Journal, Big Finish fun and golden sonic screwdriver tat, and more! Next week, we see how it all goes…Boom! Links: Support Radio Free Skaro on Patreon Review: Doctor Who S1E01 “Space Babies” Review: Doctor Who S1E02 “The Devil’s Chord” Doctor Who Unleashed is available for purchase on iTunes in North America Men’s Journal: Russell T Davies Interview: Giving “New Energy” to a “Classic Show” Russell T Davies confirms more diverse writers for Season 2 Ncuti Gatwa, Millie Gibson & Russell T Davies Talks New Series with Kyle Anderson Ncuti Gatwa on CBC Q Radio Special Doctor Who BBC One ident aired May 6 Doctor Who: The Fourteenth Doctor’s Sonic Screwdriver (Exclusive Gold Metallised Edition) coming July 5 The Doctor Who Production Diary: The Hartnell Years now available Doctor Who – Death in the Stars by Bonnie Langford with Jacqualine Rayner due Aug 22 Big Finish annual Paul Spragg Memorial Short Trip opportunity now open until the end of June Big Finish: Doctor Who – The Fourth Doctor Adventures: Dominant Species due September 2024 New Titan Comics DW Humble Bundle Long Island Who: August 23-25, 2024 Gallifrey One: February 14-16, 2025 “Boom” airs Saturday, May 18 at 6:50pm on BBC One

It’s less than one week until Doctor Who enters a new era on Disney+ and BBC iPlayer, and the Disney+ money machine has been busy bussing Ncuti Gatwa and Millie Gibson all around New York City to promote the show, look generally gorgeous wearing many different looks, and riding a Doctor Who-themed NYC subway car! There’s also chatter about Doctor Who: Unleashed, the TARDIS at Disneyland, theatre productions, and more, with our friend Sarah Murphy sitting in as guest host! Links: Support Radio Free Skaro on Patreon Ncuti and Millie on Good Morning America Ncuti and Millie on ABC News Ncuti Gatwa on “Late Night with Seth Meyers” Ncuti Gatwa and Millie Gibson on their “great chemistry”, loving Jon Pertwee and the future of Doctor Who Rolling Stone: ‘It’s About Time’: Ncuti Gatwa on Becoming the New Face of ‘Doctor Who’ “Space Babies” airs at 6:20pm on BBC One; “The Devil’s Chord” at 7:05pm on May 11 Ncuti Gatwa’s Message to the Fans Doctor Who segment on Blue Peter airing May 10 Doctor Who star Ncuti Gatwa set for Madame Tussauds Ncuti Gatwa appearing in “The Importance Of Being Earnest” from November-January Paul Cornell awarded Terrance Dicks Award for lifetime achievement in Doctor Who writing Big Finish: Doctor Who – The Lost Stories: Deathworld due July 2024 Big Finish: The Doctor’s Daughter returns for four new adventures in October Companions: Sixty Years of Doctor Who Assistants due later in 2024 Ice Hot, a collection of stories set in Paradise Towers, coming May 20 The Incomparable 714: You Can’t Protect People From Doctor Who Andrew Orton YouTube Guest: Sarah Murphy Is It Camp?

The Doctor Who publicity machine is slipping into second gear with Gatwa and Gibson making the rounds of a BBC premiere, chat shows, Variety Magazine, and more, but that doesn’t stop the Three Who Rule from marinating in questionable nostalgia as they recall viewing The Phantom Menace for the first time 25 years ago, aka the Dawn of Anticipointment. Plus we issue an all hands on deck alert for next week’s Gallifrey One Hotelmageddon, and Warren emerges from the Metaverse to give his take on the just released PS VR2 version of The Edge of Time! Don your own Helmet of Pretend and join us!   Links: Support Radio Free Skaro on Patreon Gallifrey One 2025 hotel block on sale May 3 BBC Press Launch of Season 1 Ncuti Gatwa and Millie Gibson on The One Show on April 26 Variety: Doctor Who Regenerates Doctor Who Magazine #603 Doctor Who Magazine Special: 50 Years of the Fourth Doctor coming May 2 “The Church on Ruby Road” will be under Season 1 on Disney+ starting May 10 Doctor Who Season 1 to be released on Blu-ray in the UK on August 12 Doctor Who Prom coming August 26; tickets on sale May 17 Doctor Who: The Edge of Time now on Playstation VR2 Film is Fabulous pilot study reveals previously missing BBC treasures Big Finish: The Ninth Doctor Adventures: Star-Crossed due May 2024 Big Finish: The Trials of a Time Lord due August 2024 Big Finish Doctor Who – The Fifth Doctor Adventures: The Great Beyond due September 2024 Big Finish Torchwood due July – October 2024

The hype train has left the station for Doctor Who as Entertainment Weekly, SFX, Attitude, and other pulp-based data products celebrate the impending Full-On Ncuti Gatwa Era along with the BBC and Disney+ releasing promo illustrations, and most importantly of all the release of Movellan action dollies, which caused spontaneous disco-infused celebrations across the United Kingdom. There’s also the quite suspicious timing of a restored Let It Be hitting Disney+ two days before the two-part premiere of Doctor Who, and most exciting of all, Episode Four of our Classic Series Commentary for “Terror of the Autons”! Links: Support Radio Free Skaro on Patreon Gallifrey One 2025 Tickets Now Available; Hotel Reservations on May 3 New BBC promo image promoting Doctor who launch New Disney+ promo image promoting Doctor who launch Entertainment Weekly: A new (re)generation: Inside Ncuti Gatwa’s Doctor Who Entertainment Weekly: Doctor Who’s Ncuti Gatwa Breaks Down Every Doctor in the Show’s History Doctor Who Season 1 preview in SFX Magazine Ncuti Gatwa on the cover of the 30th anniversary issue of Attitude magazine Disney+ streaming the original “Let It Be” on May 8, two days before The Devil’s Chord Doctor Who Ruins of Skaro Collector Figure Set Character Options Ruins of Skaro reveal video The Prisoner Retro Style Action Figures Wave 2 Kickstarter BBC Books to publish three original Doctor Who novels featuring Ncuti Gatwa’s Fifteenth Doctor Big Finish: Doctor Who – The First Doctor Unbound begins September 2025 The Game of Rassilon finale being released April 24 Commentary: Terror of the Autons Episode 4

We’re less than a month away from new Doctior Who on Disney+ and the BBC and to help us navigate this stormy sea of streaming madness is professor, media expert, and all-around lovely fellow Derek Kompare as we look into the BBC’s inevitable admission that Varada Sethu is joining the cast of the show, a fascinating Beatles-centric (or lack thereof) interview in Empire Magazine with Ncuti Gatwa and one Russell T. Davies, archive film musings, Chicago TARDIS news, and a very important televisual anniversary! Plus Episode Three of our Classic Series Commentary for “Terror of the Autons”! Links: Support Radio Free Skaro on Patreon Doctor Who – First Look at Ncuti Gatwa with Varada Sethu and Millie Gibson ahead of Season Two Empire Magazine Interview with Russell T Davies and Ncuti Gatwa Ncuti Gatwa, Millie Gibson, Russell T Davies in the Radio Times TV 100 list The Celestial Toymaker to be released June 10/11 in the UK, North America The Doctor Who Production Diary: The Hartnell Years available soon Film is Fabulous! Pilot Study: Documenting Private Film Collections Chicago TARDIS adds Jo Martin to guest list with Sylvester McCoy, Paul McGann Big Finish: Torchwood: The Restoration of Catherine coming June 2024 Twelfth Doctor, Cyberman ornaments coming from Hallmark for Christmas 2024 Stevie Wonder on Sesame Street (April 12, 1973) Commentary: Terror of the Autons Episode 3

Chris is a wandering vagabond this week, trolling both the Internet and ourselves with images of the real Magna Carta, but the real highlight of this week is the appearance of one Kyle Anderson of Nerdist fame for his thoughts on Doctor Who trailers, the current media landscape, and more! Plus we have news of one Dr. Who in Roblox form, the release of the Companions of Doctor Who on April 10, and River Song is back in Big Finish’s “Death and Life of River Song: Last Words”! Plus Past Chris returns in Episode Two of our Classic Series Commentary for “Terror of the Autons”! Links: Support Radio Free Skaro on Patreon BBC launches new Wonder Chase experience on Roblox The Companions of Doctor Who Available April 10 Big Finish: The Death and Life of River Song: Last Words coming August 2024 Doctor Who’s WEIRD History of Regeneration Commentary: Terror of the Autons Episode 2

Another new Doctor Who trailer! New episode titles unveiled! Golda Rosheuvel is in Episode 1! All this and more in a timey-wimey episode of the podcast, which contains much Mrrahh Business, more cast announcements, a light dusting of contempt for AI, a Steven Moffat conversation on Youtube, and Episode One of our Classic Series Commentary for “Terror of the Autons”!  Links: Support Radio Free Skaro on Patreon Doctor Who – Golda Rosheuvel jumps aboard the TARDIS as episode titles are revealed New BBC Doctor Who Trailer Doctor Who Magazine 602 Two Doctor Who episodes nominated for Hugo for Best Dramatic Presentation, Short Form Doctor Who 2024: BBC Confirms 4K For The Full Series BBC Will Stop Using AI For ‘Doctor Who’ Promotion After Receiving Complaints BBC Director General nevertheless revealed there are bold plans for AI going forward Russell T Davies says end of BBC is ‘undoubtedly on its way’ BBC looks for commercial deals as it faces potential end of licence fee Doctor Who cited as evolution of of how funding for high-end scripted drama could evolve in the UK BBC must spend more on TV in Wales, says report Steven Moffat in conversation at Glasgow University Doctor Who: I, TARDIS: Memoirs of an Impossible Blue Box Hardcover due July 11 Doctor Who: I, TARDIS: Memoirs of an Impossible Blue Box Audio CD due July 11 Big Finish – The War Doctor Rises begins August 2024 Big Finish – Torchwood: Disco coming May 2024 Commentary: Terror of the Autons Episode 1

In an exciting adventure in time and mostly space, Chris joins Warren in Vancouver for a very special episode of Radio Free Skaro where we look at a new Disney+ Doctor Who trailer featuring dinosaurs, Ruby Sunday stepping on a butterfly, glimpses of upcoming mysteries, and clearly a whole lot of Disney+ money. Plus confirmation Steven Moffat is back for at least one Season 1 episode, Russell T Davies using a Canadian emoji to not only tease the audience but also confound us, Big Finish celebrating its 25th Anniversary with a very special day, some MRAHHH BUSINESS from Doctor Who producer Jane Tranter ,and our Miniscope examining the work of Thirteenth Doctor-era director Jamie Childs! Links: Support Radio Free Skaro on Patreon New Disney+ Trailer Steven Moffat writes episode for new season of Doctor Who with Julie-Anne Robinson directing RTD uses 🇨🇦 emoji on his Instagram post about Moffat First Big Finish Day 2024 guests announced I, TARDIS coming from BBC Books July 18 Pre-orders are up for Titan Comics’ Fifteenth Doctor Issue #1 ‘Doctor Who’ Producer Jane Tranter Says British TV Tax Credits Must Be Updated Miniscope: Doctor Who director Jamie Childs Jamie Childs on Radio Free Skaro #676

After a long and punishing era of North America tapping its toes and drumming its fingers waiting for the adventures of Doctor Who on their televisual devices, Disney+ has upended the universe with a global release on its streaming service with the result that North Americans will see the show Friday afternoon and the UK will suffer the INDIGNITY of having their beloved Gallifreyan arrive at midnight, a crime as monumental as the United States seceding from the Commonwealth. We also have Steven Moffat allegedly writing the 2024 Xmas special, man about town and Nerdist scribe Kyle Anderson’s look at regenerations, and an interview with Chris Chapman about his Graham Williams documentary on said collection,”Darkness and Light: The Life of Graham Williams”! Links: Support Radio Free Skaro on Patreon Doctor Who Returns May 10/11, Premiering on iPlayer/Disney+ at Midnight UK Time BBC Press Release on Doctor Who Premiere Radio Times: Doctor Who’s Steven Moffat ‘returns to write 2024 Christmas special’ Alison Sterling’s CV said Steven Moffat is writing the 2024 Christmas Special (directed by Alex Pillai) From Nerdist: Doctor Who’s Regeneration Has NEVER Made Sense w/Kyle Anderson Philip Hinchcliffe – the DNA of Doctor Who Vol 1 due June 1 Doctor Who The Adventures Before due Oct 3 Doctor Who: In Wonderland Big Finish: Doctor Who – The Ninth Doctor Adventures: Star-Crossed due May 2024 Titan Comics reveals artwork for Fifteenth Doctor’s debut issue Season 15 Collection Launch Trailer Richard Bignell’s List of PDF archive material on the Season 15 Collection Interview: Chris Chapman Graham Williams documentary on the Season 15 Collection

It’s time for a mea culpa about Magna Carta by the Three Who Rule (much less than before) before we move on to the news of the moment, including Rachel Talalay highlighting female Doctor Who directors and appearing in Edmonton to celebrate her film work, Mark Ayres going to bat for the Celestial Toymaker’s experimental animations, the BBC with an AI-generated foot in its mouth after it decided simple humans can’t possibly promote their Doctor Who material, Warren has news of scribbling for an RPG merchant ,and the second part of a completely historically accurate exploration Classic Series Commentary of Magna Carta AND shapeshifting robots in…”The King’s Demons”, Part the Second!   Links: Support Radio Free Skaro on Patreon Radio Times: Rachel Talalay: Doctor Who’s female directors have defied the odds Mark Ayres defends “experimental” Celestial Toymaker animation BBC is exploring generative AI to increase experimentation and improve Doctor Who promotion Big Finish: Bernice Summerfield: The Eternity Club series bundle starts September 2024 Kickstarter for The Laundry Roleplaying Game: Second Edition Pamela Salem obituary in the Guardian, by Toby Hadoke Commentary: Classic Series Commentary “The Kings Demons” Part Two