There is a good chance that Doctor Who Series 15 will be remembered for many of the wrong reasons. But one great thing about it is that it gave us the chance to bring in a diverse collection of opinions and reactions. As you may have read, this week I am joined by: Philip Bates Gareth Kavanagh James Whittington Rick Lundeen ...and James McLean So, prepare for a tightly edited (!) collection of interactions between 6 people who weren't even on the same call, let alone in the same room. Strangely, I think it works. It's a bit shorter than usual, but I think it nicely wraps things up. Patreon benefits  Supporters of the podcast on Patreon got this week’s show ad-free and early. Sign up to enjoy the same benefits.  From the next episode of Kasterborous, we'll be back to ad-free, early, and complete on Patreon, with the full episode for Patrons and a shorter version of the episode on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, etc. a few days later. Get in touch  Subscribe to our podcast? Then head to Apple Podcasts to leave a rating and review. Any new reviews will be read out. Not on Apple Podcasts? Leave us a review somewhere else, send the link over on Twitter or Facebook or [email protected], and you’ll get a mention.

James and Christian have just recorded an ad hoc conversation about recent events concerning Doctor Who. Prepare for a video discussion which looks at J. Michael Straczynski's possible interest in Doctor Who, the current lack of scheduling for The War Between the Land and the Sea, obligatory AI talk, and a look at how much UK and US subscribers are paying for Netflix, Prime, Disney+, et al, compared with other countries. Shownotes Babylon 5’s J Michael Straczynski Says He’d “Love Nothing More” Than Writing Doctor Who  The War Between the Land and the Sea  Gorilla AI advert Patreon benefits  Supporters of the podcast on Patreon got this week’s show ad-free and early on Patreon — and with extra material.  Get in touch  Subscribe to our podcast? Then head to Apple Podcasts to leave a rating and review. Any new reviews will be read out. Not on Apple Podcasts? Leave us a review somewhere else, send the link over on Twitter or Facebook or [email protected], and you’ll get a mention.

During the run of Doctor Who Series 15, Christian Cawley and James McLean got together to discuss how the show was developing. This conversation took place against a backdrop of intense speculation about the future of the series, its star, and perhaps even its showrunner. Factor in the internal narrative -- dialogue from Mrs Flood -- and comments from Russell T Davies seeming to downplay the future of Doctor Who, and you have an interesting topic for discussion, namely: Were RTD, the BBC, and Disney+ engaged in one of the most audacious publicity campaigns for a TV show ever? Or was this a semi-conscious, modern day retread of the events surrounding Trial of a Time Lord in 1986? Find out what we think. Remember, this conversation went out in early May to our Patreon subscribers, so the voices on the end of your podcastmachine have no idea what happened in Episode 8... Patreon benefits  Supporters of the podcast on Patreon got this week’s show ad-free and early. Sign up to enjoy the same benefits.  Get in touch  Subscribe to our podcast? Then head to Apple Podcasts to leave a rating and review. Any new reviews will be read out. Not on Apple Podcasts? Leave us a review somewhere else, send the link over on Twitter or Facebook or [email protected], and you’ll get a mention.

We're delighted to welcome back Philip Bates for this week's podcast. Recorded a few weeks before Series 15, Philip and Christian Cawley discuss his work on Companions: More Than Sixty Years of Doctor Who Assistants. Originally published back in 2013 as 50 Years of Doctor Who Assistants by Andy Frankham-Allen, Philip has contributed a huge swathe of new material to this new edition. After all, he's the editor of The Doctor Who Companion, so who better to work on the revision? The book has been out for a few months, but now is hitting shelves in bookshops around the UK, although you can also buy it direct from publisher Candy Jar Books, or from Amazon. Shownotes Companions: More Than Sixty Years of Doctor Who Assistants by Philip Bates & Andy Frankham-Allen The Doctor Who Companion Meanwhile, we're working on a podcast looking back at Doctor Who Series 8, with many of the contributors who popped up on a weekly basis with James. You'll get that first on Patreon! Patreon benefits  Supporters of the podcast on Patreon got this week’s show ad-free and early. Sign up to enjoy the same benefits.  Get in touch  Subscribe to our podcast? Then head to Apple Podcasts to leave a rating and review. Any new reviews will be read out.  Not on Apple Podcasts? Leave us a review somewhere else, send the link over on Twitter or Facebook or [email protected], and you’ll get a mention.

Well, Doctor Who Series 15 has come to a close, and we don't know what is going to happen next. But before we spend time ruminating over the mind-bending regeneration, James and Magnus are here to discuss The Reality War. Shownotes Doctor Who: The Reality War on BBC iPlayer and Disney+. Patreon benefits  Supporters of the podcast on Patreon got this week’s show ad-free and early. Sign up to enjoy the same benefits. Get in touch  Subscribe to our podcast? Then head to Apple Podcasts to leave a rating and review. Any new reviews will be read out. Not on Apple Podcasts? Leave us a review somewhere else, send the link over on Twitter or Facebook or [email protected], and you’ll get a mention.

This week's podcast welcomes John Kenneth Muir, a guest who has also joined us previously on the John and Jim's Excellent Adventure podcasts.  Naturally, he's here to discuss Wish World with James, the penultimate episode of Doctor Who Series 15/2/41, however you prefer to count it. Expect some interesting insights into both the episode and the potential survival of the series. As one listener on Patreon described it: "Such an intelligent discussion, avoiding the histrionics you might find elsewhere!" Shownotes Doctor Who: Wish World on BBC iPlayer and Disney+ John & Jim's Excellent Journey Patreon benefits  Supporters of the podcast on Patreon got this week’s show ad-free and early on Patreon — and with extra material. This week, there's a video of the chat, exclusively available on Patreon.  This audio version is a truncated edit of that conversation, but we’ll be bringing the cut portions to you in future.  Get in touch  Subscribe to our podcast? Then head to Apple Podcasts to leave a rating and review. Any new reviews will be read out.  Not on Apple Podcasts? Leave us a review somewhere else, send the link over on Twitter or Facebook or [email protected], and you’ll get a mention.

This week, it's James McLean and the enigmatic Magnus chewing the Time Lord fat (eww). They get deep into The Interstellar Song Contest, with James as a long-term viewer of Doctor Who and Magnus as a more recent arrival. Shownotes Doctor Who: The Interstellar Song Contest on BBC iPlayer and Disney+ Patreon benefits  Supporters of the podcast on Patreon got this week’s show ad-free and early on Patreon — and with extra material.  Get in touch  Subscribe to our podcast? Then head to Apple Podcasts to leave a rating and review. Any new reviews will be read out.  Not on Apple Podcasts? Leave us a review somewhere else, send the link over on Twitter or Facebook or [email protected], and you’ll get a mention.

Vworp Vworp and Cutaway Comics' Gareth Kavanagh joins James McLean in this week's Doctor Who podcast. They cover the latest episode of Doctor Who (The Story and The Engine), with some interesting insights... Shownotes Doctor Who: The Story and The Engine on BBC iPlayer and Disney Plus Cutaway Comics Patreon benefits Supporters of the podcast on Patreon got this week’s show ad-free and early on Patreon — and with extra material. We also released this exclusively on Patreon as a video podcast. This audio version is a truncated edit of that conversation, but we'll be bringing the cut portions to you in future. Get in touch Subscribe to our podcast? Then head to Apple Podcasts to leave a rating and review. Any new reviews will be read out. Not on Apple Podcasts? Leave us a review somewhere else, send the link over on Twitter or Facebook or [email protected], and you’ll get a mention.

This week, James McLean is joined by Doctor Who Companion editor Philip Bates to discuss the latest episode, Lucky Day. They cover everything from twists and turns to the now-perennial question: will Doctor Who continue beyond this series? Patreon subscribers, will also be able to see this conversation, if preferred, in video format. Shownotes Doctor Who: Lucky Day on BBC iPlayer and Disney+ The Doctor Who Companion Get in touch Subscribe to our podcast? Then head to Apple Podcasts to leave a rating and review. Any new reviews will be read out. Not on Apple Podcasts? Leave us a review somewhere else, send the link over on Twitter or Facebook or [email protected], and you’ll get a mention.

Episode 3 of Doctor Who Series 15, The Well, has aired in the UK and worldwide on the Disney+ service, and is ripe for discussion. What impact has this episode has, and can James McLean discern it? This week, James is joined by James Whittington, a writer who worked with us back in the days of our old website. He also writes for the Legend TV channel, among other things, and has plenty of thoughts about Doctor Who... Shownotes Doctor Who: The Well on BBC iPlayer (UK) and Disney+ (Worldwide) Legend TV James Whittington on X: @jamesywhitt Patreon benefits Supporters of the podcast on Patreon got this week's show ad-free and early on Patreon -- and with extra material. We also released this exclusively on Patreon as a video podcast. Get in touch Subscribe to our podcast? Then head to Apple Podcasts to leave a rating and review. Any new reviews will be read out. Not on Apple Podcasts? Leave us a review somewhere else, send the link over on Twitter or Facebook or [email protected], and you’ll get a mention.